"What are you doing here?!" Zen stared at the woman who'd just opened the door to the office clearly labelled with a silver plaque reading TYRION. "Where's Master Tyrion?"

The woman snorted, flicking her blonde hair over her shoulder. "I never thought I'd hear you address someone as 'Master' Zenny."

"Cut the chase, Vanessa." He sighed. "Where is he?"

"Out." She shrugged. "I was having some trouble collecting some ingredients, so Tyrion thought he'd go and upstage me." Brown eyes flickered over to the girl being dragged along rather reluctantly. "Who's the kid? Don't tell me you went and-"

"She's not mine, dumbass." He scowled. "Why would Kyran be here if that was the case?"

"A genius?!" The woman was in front of Leia in seconds, hands grasping her shoulders with extraordinary strength. "She's so young..."

"Precisely."

A grin pulled at her lips, white teeth practically blinding Leia as the woman pulled her into a hug. "And so cute..."

"Umm..." Leia mumbled, her voice muffled by the woman's long coat.

"Can I keep her?"

"No." Zen glared at her. "Like anyone would ever trust you with a student... I dread to think what'd happen to the poor unfortunate soul."

Kyran barely batted an eyelid. "They'd probably get blown up in some sort of experiment..."

"Oy!"

"She'll be Tyrion's." He said, matter-of-factly. "Not yours."

"That makes me sound like a possession." Leia muttered, still suffocating in Vanessa's death grip. "And could you put me down already? I prefer my feet on the floor."

"Put the kid down already." Zen shook his head, watching as Kyran wandered over to the stack of paperwork in Tyrion's tray, leafing leisurely through the sheets. "She's not some cuddly toy, so you shouldn't treat her like one."

"Thank you!"

"Go and get some administrative forms for her. She'll be starting at Kiryin Palace tomorrow."

"Might she remind you that she's still in the room... and she also has a home in Ithuriel City—which she won't be leaving." She grumbled, folding her arms. Leia didn't want to leave her city behind. Not when she knew what was in store for it. The thought made her bite her lip, hands clenched, ready to stand her ground.

"There's a portal you can use, kiddo." He shrugged. "You'll be free to head home on the weekends, and that Head of the City Guards can come and check on you from time to time... He's your legal guardian according to your paperwork, after all."

"Somehow I doubt he'll be that fussed." She muttered, smiling slightly as she always did whenever she thought of Xander.

"If you say so." Zen said, yawning as he stared around the room.

"Tired, are we?"

"You have no idea." He mumbled. "Kyran, how long do you reckon Tyrion will take?"

"Well, since he's gone to get an ingredient even Vanessa was having trouble with getting, I doubt he'll be turning up anytime soon." He said, holding up at scrap of paper. "I'll leave him a note... because from the looks of things, she could use some sleep right about now."

"Too right." Leia yawned. It'd been an eventful day, with Flame Souls and Alchemists, and her poor brain was having some trouble coming to terms with everything.

"Hm." Zen tilted his head. "I suppose we'd best get the little genius settled in, then... We wouldn't want her to be late for her first day."

"Of course not." She rolled her eyes, shoulders sinking.

Tomorrow was going to be fun.

She just knew it.