It had been almost a month since Kate and Lissa had been dragged back to the Academy, and with a bumpy first couple of days, the two seemed to settle into the nocturnal routine ther slowly, at least Kate had.

Thankfully for Kate, Lissa had managed to avoid any and every invite from the popular group and stuck with her cousin and her friends, but mostly she'd been hanging out with Christian. Who Kate, unsurprisingly, liked.

Kate, unlike Lissa, was dragged into Dhampir Social events by her peers and Mason, the latter claiming that she needed to know everything about her kin, despite her countering that she was perfectly fine not attending anything that wasn't remotely interesting, or profitable. She hated being social, but she wouldn't deny that being social as a Dhampir had the mere advantage of knowing her opponent's weakenesses and being able to know more about the unknown world of the Vampires.

But, despite being popular, mainly due to being trained by Guardian Dimitri Belikov and being, mostly, unbeaten in class, Kate was known to scurry away from everyone and be glued to the blonde Princess's side, unless she was training.

However, on Sunday November 3rd, Katherine Alistair wasn't found in class, nor the gym, nor in her dorm. She wasn't even found in the Princess's dorm, nor attempting to watch in on her class, something that had happened more than once before.

Her absence had been noted by her teacher an peers, along with the Guardians watching over the Morois and Novices, it had even been reported to the Headmistress, and while she was known to be ruthless and heartless to Dhampirs, Kirova was actually worried about the strange Novice, even if it was a Sunday. So much so that she'd requested the Princess to be brought to her office.

Rumours had surged in the Academy that the arrival of Katherine Alastair had created a movement of change in the Academy, a slow but certain change that started with the student body. A change that the Headmistress was embodying as she was worried for the well-being of the Novice that she would, once upon a time, throw out without a second glace.

Lissa entered the Headmistress's office not long after being summoned, her long blonde hair pulled back into a sweet and neat pale blonde braid, her jade eyes shining with understanding as to why she was summoned.

"Princess." Kirova welcomed, beckoning her inside, motioning to one of the seats before her. "You're probably wondering why I summoned you."

Lissa shook her heat at the recthorical question as she walked forward. She, unlike everyone else in the Academy, knew what that day was. Which meant that she had an idea of why she'd been called to the Headmistress's office, nothing concrete as she had never been officially summoned.

"We are having a bit of trouble locating Alastair. She skipped her morning training, and headcount at breakfast and given as everyone needs to be accounted for, we need to know where she is. I know that I allowed to be able to miss the extra training, but given the recent breach of Elaine, we are taking the safety of students very seriously." Kirova told the Princess once she was seated down.

"And because we are attached to the hip, you thought I would know." Lissa finished, giving the Headmistress a pearly smile. Kirova nodded at Lissa, having not once stood up, she uncrossed her legs and them the other way, keeping her dark eyes on the blonde Princess.

"I do know where she is." Lissa started, "She is inside the campus and will turn up by dawn, at least I hope she will, but it is best that you leave her be. This day is both a very exciting and painful one for her."

Kirova nodded in understanding, knowing that all she was going to get was that, even if she was dying to know how the bond worked and how the Princess could tell that her Dhampir was still inside the campus of the Academy. Lissa turned to leave, nodding slightly in respect at the Headmistress when the older woman said with an apologetic tone "I'll tell the cooks to leave the kitchen unlocked if she does turn up."

It wasn't much, and it wouldn't cover anything but Lissa nodded in appreciation at the Headmistress before walking out the office completely.

A woman sat in the benches of a chapel, peering up at the marble cross displayed before the benches. Shoulder length black hair tied into a small braid tied at the back of the neck, displaying a slightly faded promise mark along with Molnija and Zvezda Marks.

Her hazel eyes cast down to her lap as her lips start to proclaim a pray.

"I knew I would find you here. Today of all days." A low voice claims beside her, startling her and causing the woman to turn to the owner of the voice with a deep glare in her hazel eyes.

"I came here for peace, to pray for peace and safekeeping." the woman muttered, keeping a low tone so not to disturb anyone else that might be inside the chapel doing their own praying. "You are interrupting my ritual, Lydia. Is there a reason for it?"

The other person, the one who had interrupted the dark-haired woman, handed her a small evelope.

"A telegram came for you, from St. Vladimir's Academy in Montana, United States." Lydia told her, pushing her bright ginger hair back, away from her face. She'd kept her hair long, despite it being against Dhampir regulation, and usually wore it up or tied.

"I don't work anymore, I stopped. You can tell them that." The woman sighed, pushing the telegram back without even opening it. She'd heard about the Academy, it was impossible not to considering it was infamous not only for losing the last Dragomir but also recapturing her.

"I don't know what they want, I don't read your telegrams. I'm not Silas." Lydia shot back lowly, ignoring the telegram in favour of blessing herself, not wanting to offend the god she was raised to believe.

The woman sighed and opened the telegram, quickly skeeming through what was written before ripping the paper into small pieces. An action that didn't shock the ginger woman beside her.

"Take it wasn't good things." Lydia commented.

"They want me to travel to them, they have something they want me to confirm. They didn't say what but they made it seem like it was urgent." the woman said, groaning slightly.

"So does this mean I'm going to see my son, Dianna?" Lydia teased, flashing the woman a teasing but bright smile.

"There's nothing on this telegram that says I can bring company." The woman, Dianna, countered with a small smirk, knowing that nothing would deter Lydia from doing what she wanted and pleased, especially not when there was a possibility of Lydia seeing her only son.

Lydia merely smirked at Dianna, watching as Dianna rolled her dark eyes at her, knowing perfectly well that they were only teasing each other. "What do you think they want to confirm? You've already told them everything you were willing and allowed to tell." Lydia then questioned in a softer tone.

"Vlad only knows." Dianna sighed, blessing herself once more before getting up and leading Lydia out of the church.

"You also got flowers back at home." Lydia said as they walked out of the church, "Is there a potential romance brewing?"

Dianna paled slightly at the mention of the flowers, she knew from whom they were from, it was impossible not to know, especially sicne they were always the same type of flowers that she'd been getting on November 3rd since she reappered in the world.

At Lydia's question, Dianna shook her head, "No, not anymore. Just an old friend." Dianna explained, a small sad smile on her lips as she remembered old times in which she was happier.

"Ooh and who is the lucky guy that had the honour of getting Dianna Owens to decline him." Lydia questioned teasingly, walking beside Dianna with a curious expression.

"A sweet but incredibly dangerous man." Dianna confided, but offered no more information.

Author's Note:

-> I know this chapter is a bit shorter than it usually is, but the next chapter will be much longer again as it includes 3 original chapters.