Sydney's POV

I was never one to complain-especially with the life I've lived-but these cells were terrible. I would think they had to be considering they were meant for bad people, but did anyone deserve this.

Bringing me back to if I was actually supposed to be here. I mean I was no Jack the Ripper, but I wasn't perfect. Who was anyway? I wasn't one to judge-out loud, anyway-but then again neither was anyone else.

I felt my thoughts circling again as they had been for the past day, I felt my sanity slipping every time I did so. But I'd prefer the instability over the heartbreak I felt whenever I thought about him.

It was ridiculous. I had had a half-hour conversation with the man, why did I feel so affected every time I thought about him and Rose getting married? It wasn't logical.

"Love isn't logical."

"It has to be, everything is."

A small smile came to my mother's lips. "Oh, Sydney. You'll know what love is one day. When you feel like you couldn't be without someone. When you feel like your soul would be destroyed if you didn't have them."

One of the few memories that remained of my mom. I sighed in the dark emptiness.

My mother had believed that everyone had a true love while my father had found that completely preposterous.

"So what, Jared?" my mother had challenged. "You're saying if I died, you wouldn't be upset?"

"Of course I'd be upset but 'your soul would be destroyed'? Really?"

She had rolled her eyes, so had he.

He had joked then but the following year is when tragedy struck and my father had learned firsthand what my mother had been talking about.

Maybe this is what my mother had been talking about, the epic love.

Or maybe it was just a little crush on a man I could never have.

Adrian's POV

Breaking into a dungeon wasn't as easy as it sounds.

Well that doesn't sound easy, but it's harder than it sounds. Turns out we had missed Ian's shift and we now had to deal with this really uncool guy.

"Neil, come on," Eddie said to him. "We're friends, right?"

"We are but I also have a job to keep people out of the dungeons."

"Come on, man."

It was the first time I had ever heard Eddie sound casual.

"I'll let you guys past," he reasoned. "If you get me a date with Jill Dragomir. I know you're close with her."

That was directed towards me. Eddie stiffened, Jailbait had told me about their relationship and I knew it wasn't right to interfere with their love for my own. But knowing Jill she would do this for me and still love Eddie to no end.

"Fine," I answered. "She's visiting the palace at the moment, I'll talk to her."

Eddie's jaw clenched at my words.

"Calm down, she'll still be crazy about you," I told him once were past Neil.

"What?"

"Jill, she loves you. This won't change that."

"You know?" he asked, as he opened the door that led to a row of cells.

"Yeah, Jailbait and I are super close," I twisted my fingers together for visual aids.

He chuckled. "Okay, then. You're not upset, a royal marrying a non-royal?"

I looked at him exasperated. "What do you think I'm doing down here? Visiting my Uncle John?"

"Who's Uncle John?"

I rolled my eyes and waved him off. Silence engulfed us and soon enough we heard a voice.

"Maybe this is what my mother had been talking about, the epic love. Or maybe it was just a little crush on a man I could never have. I mean, Adrian Ivashkov isn't just any man! But then again… hmm…"

My insides turned to mush at the sound of Sydney's voice. God, I sounded like such a girl…

I mean, Adrian Ivashkov isn't just any man!

You got that right, Sydney.

A/N: I was going to end it here but considering all my delaying I decided to give you the reuniting scene.

I placed a hand on one of the filthy bars, peering past.

A small blond sat there muttering to herself. Sydney.

"Angel?" I asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

Her beautiful golden eyes looked at me, given a couple seconds to recognize me and for Eddie to open the doors.

She leapt at me with strength that a girl her size shouldn't have and pushed me to the ground, he arms wrapped tightly around my neck. Eddie laughed at me as I stayed stunned. I glared at him and turned a softer gaze upon Sydney.

Pulling away slightly, she looked at me through her long lashes. I placed one hand on her lower back and one under her chin, lifting her head to get a good look at her. Her gorgeous face was smudged with dirt; she was still wearing the red dress she had worn when I had first seen her. It was ragged and the halter was coming loose-not that I minded-but I tied it back anyway to keep prying male eyes off her. Her feet were bare and her hair was atrocious.

But my God, she was still so beautiful.

I had carried her out of the wretched place-not wanting her feet to get any more cuts on them-at (with Eddie's help) snuck her into my chambers.

"Hi!"

The two small girls I had sent for were waiting with their mother.

Lia was one of the two who had spoken. "Hello, Lia."

I set Sydney down gently on her feet as a bent down. "You must be Mia."

I shook her small hand. I noticed that this girl wasn't as bubbly as her twin but still gave a smile.

I left the three girls to tend to Sydney as I went to send a message to my mother and father for an arrest of Donna Stanton.