AN: Hey guys! Sorry it's been a while. I just finished an 11 week term, but I am going to make up for it by posting more in the next 2 weeks that I have off. Any suggestions or reviews would be great!

Sydney's POV

"Have a productive morning, my little bumble bee? I must say – " Adrian stops in front of me where I sit at my desk. "What the hell happened?"

I touched my neck where the bit remained. "I had a run in with those guys, you know, the ones from last time."

"And I wasn't there."

"I handled it."

"You were bitten Sydney! That's not what I call 'handling it'!" His eyes grow darker and he walks back the way he came. "And they will pay for it."

"They already have." I say in my emotionless, 'alchemist' voice. I'm sure my face is just as un-feeling.

He stops and turns back around. "What do you mean, Sage? How could they have possible be punished. After what happened last time – "

"They HAVE been Adrian. They took something from me, so I took something from them. Just like I took something from Keith when he took something that didn't belong to him."

"You mean – how?"

"Did you know that my blood is so full of magic, that when it reacts with another's skin, it causes it to burn and peel? A little seems to go a long way. I only needed a drop..."

"You blinded them?"

"Only in one eye," I say some-what defensively. I'm not that cruel...though I was tempted. "I needed them to know what they were doing would have consequences, Adrian! That they can't simply take whatever they want!"

"I know, I know. And I guess if you can send shards of glass in to an evil bitch 's face when she's trying to kill you, then they are lucky to be alive."

I smile at this. I'll take that as a compliment.

"Did you bring the jar I asked you to bring?"

"Yeah. You could have called me, you know. Texting me 'bring the small jar with the pink stuff in it' wasn't the easiest instructions...it took half an hour to discover the stupid thing was next to your moisturiser."

I shake my head. "Poor Adry-poo. Must have been so, so hard."

He gives me a hard look before handing it over.

"Can you hold up my hair while I put it on?"

He stands behind me, but instead of holding up my hair, he pushes it out of the way, takes a small dollop of the creamy substance and applies it to my neck himself. There is a slight burning sensation before it tingles briefly. It's healed.

Adrian puts a kiss on the same place and then lets go of my hair.

"Come on. The queen has requested us for a late lunch."

"Just wait, they'll be little Dragomir's running about this place in no time," Adrian states.

Christian chokes and Queen V – Lissa – doesn't look so good either. However, Rose laughs.

"I'm hoping they'll take after their mother. Imagine, little Pyros setting everything on fire, all the time. Plus, that means I'd have to lie to Lissa about the children being cute..."

"Ouch, that hurt...Rosie."

I can tell it's about to escalate to violence with Christian having called Rose "Rosie", but luckily I'm not the only one.

"At least I'll have beautiful children...I mean, look at me. I have the perfect genes."

I shake my head. Oh, Adrian, what are we going to do with you?

"Super modest there, Ivashkov," Christian responds, turning away from Rose.

"Well, it's true."

They all shake their heads.

"It's hard to imagine you with children," Rose comments. However I disagree.

"Really? I think Adrian would make a great dad."

They all to turn to look at me, most with shock. Whoops.

"Adrian...as in this Adrian. Adrian Ivashkov?" I frown as Christian says this. For friends they obviously don't know him that well.

"Yes..." I start, but decide to make a bit of a joke about it, believing it would bring less attention to our relationship. "Can't you imagine giving his son seduction and sex advice at, while telling his daughter she wasn't allowed to date until she was thirty?"

Adrian joins in. "Nope," he says scratching his chin in a thoughtful matter, " I don't see myself doing that...I'll tell her she can't date until I'm dead...well, three days after I'm found dead, just to make sure I am actually, you know, dead."

I smile continuing on with my food. The others also continue, enjoying the relaxed atmosphere.

However, as I'm about to put the last bite in my mouth, someone crashes through the door.

"Your highness, I'm sorry to intrude, but...but..." He stops to draw in big gulps of air, obviously having run here.

"Spit it out!" Rose demands.

"There are a group of royals, your highness, claiming they've been attacked."

"Good God! Can't we have one weekend without those strigoi – "

"I beg your pardon, your highness," the man interrupts, "but it wasn't the strigoi and it was within court protection."

Oh, not good. Luckily, the alchemist taught me to lie well. But then again, will they really believe that I could harm those Moroi?

"Who attacked them then?" Qu – Lissa demands, stepping closer.

He looks at me warily before his eyes flick back to his queen. He then raises his arm and points to me.

"She did. The alchemist."