When Averinka woke up in her bed to the bright sunlight of the day, she found Irina standing at her bedside along her lady in waiting holding a tray with the cup of water.

"Good morning, your majesty."

Irina greeted her and offered the queen cup of water to wet her parched throat after sleeping. It's been a week since the garden incident, and Averinka found Irina growing protective of the queen, following her to her study chamber and court meetings, keeping a close eye on Queen and her guards. The girl accompanied the queen to her baths, and checked the temperature of water and scent oils that were poured in the water taking a whiff of them. She dismissed the other maids, a gesture which surprised the queen.

"Why did you send the maids away?"

"I think it's better for the queen to bathe in private, don't you agree?" Averinka hummed in agreement letting Irina to open the knot of her white gown and pulled the robe down her shoulders. Irina turned to give privacy to the queen to step out of her night clothes in modesty and bathe, but when the queen tried to change into the dress brought in by the maids, Irina took the fabric of the dress between her finger and thumb, rubbing them and brought her finger near to the mouth to lick it. The girl made a non-committal hum to herself with closed eyes, and the Tsarina found the behavior of the girl weird but she didn't question the vampire before the servants. Irina joined Averinka to the eating hall, and waited for Averinka to sit at the table and stood beside her as if guarding her.

When the maid-servant brought breakfast for the queen and set the trays before her, before Averinka could have a bite of her meal prepared by the head cook, Irina held her wrist stopping the queen and picked up the fork from the table, cutting the pork and put it inside her mouth chewing on the meat.

"What's the meaning of it?" The queen inquired finding Irina at her impudence.

"It is not cooked properly." Irina replied sparing a glance towards the maid and Averinka narrowed her eyes at her wondering what's going on inside the vampire's head. Irina asked another maid, Sabea, to prepare the hot broth for the queen in this cold water and ordered to take the breakfast back with her. Averinka gave a suspicious eye to Irina, who disappeared after the second maid. Irina ran to her room and stuck finger in her throat to empty her stomach spitting out the green liquid.

The food was poisoned.

Since she was a vampire, the poison could not have killed her except to burn her sensitive stomach but the tang of poison on her tongue which cut deep into flesh, would have affected the queen little by little till the poison could grow into her blood and cut open her blood vessels. Irina suspected that much that it might not be the first time the queen was being poisoned.

The hot broth was prepared for the queen, brought in by the second maid and Irina took a mouthful of it before she picked a clean spoon for the queen and asked her to eat. Averinka narrowed her eyes at the Irina, growing urgently suspicious about the girl's strange behavior around the Queen's maids and servants but the queen wasn't fool enough, she could tell that much that something was something going on in the palace.

"Kayak!" Irina barked at the first maid-cook who was fidgeting nervously and wringing her hands.

"Yes, your ladyship?" The woman bowed, her back stiff and Irina pursed her lips before giving the orders.

"The afternoon meal must be prepared in your care since you're the old cook here. Lord Gavini and Sir Mikhail would be joining us for the meal after the council along with the other nobles of the royal court. There shouldn't be any thing left in their hospitality."

"Yes, your ladyship." The woman straightened her back and returned to the cooking Chambers but Irina kept her steadfast gaze on the woman. When the maids and servants dispersed after the Queen's breakfast, Averinka decided to ask the girl about her protective behavior that had put queen at unease.

"You've acting strange since the morning, Irina. I wonder what should I assume of you out of it."

"The queen must not concern herself with a thought of something trivial." The authoritative tone of Irina set Averinka back to surprise given the fact, that the vampire had always been the meager one grovelling around the queen throughout the palace.

"Judging by your actions, it doesn't appear trivial to me." Averinka remarked dabbing her mouth with handkerchief.

"As trivial as it needs to be, the queen should only think about the council and your majesty must contradict the proposal to be put forth by the advisers in the court."

"Have I not already caused trouble to the council. The monarch must listen to the state's need." The queen tried to reason but Irina suddenly behind Averinka's chair and bent lower to her ear's level and spoke,

"As I have said before, you should not spare thought to a matter like this, Master I'm asking you of. "

"Put your faith if not me than in Vladimir."

-

The soon David got a phone call from Chris, Mason ran to grab his coat and wallet. David hurried to grab his car's keys from the bedroom before the pulling the car out of garage. David got behind the steering wheel, with Mason running to get inside the passenger seat and Alex settled behind them in the car as David drove them in the car towards the hospital.

"I shouldn't have let her go the party." Mason spoke pressing his fist against his tight mouth.

"What if she's assaulted then what..."

"Mason, calm yourself down." David assured his boyfriend but his own worried face betrayed his composed voice otherwise.

"But her friends found her passed in the back courtyard. What could have possibly happened to her." Mason slammed his fist against the window's glass, cursing under his breath and for him David had no answer and the rest of the drive to the hospital was spent in silent.

They arrived at the hospital's building, and ran to the ICU ward on the first flood passing through the nurses and ward-boys. The soon David's eyes landed on Chris, he lurched at the boy and grabbed him by collar slamming him into the wall in rage.

"David!" Mason barked and, he and Aaron ran to get David off Chris.

"Haven't I told you I'd kill you if something happens to her." David seethed through his gritted teeth, his face becoming red in anger but Chris held his tongue knowing that the elder male was concerned for his daughter.

"Sir, it's not his fault. She disappeared while being on her phone. " Aaron tried to reason with David as Mason pried him off and put his hand on panting Chris.

"If someone is to be blamed, it should be I since it's my house."

"I was the one with her on the phone, but then she hung up on me, I don't understand." Alex spoke worried for the girl whom he had become closer to in few days.

"What did the doctors say?" Mason asked Annabeth worried for the condition of his daughter than anything else. He could always question the boys later. Besides, it was not the time to act irrationally and a cause a scene at the hospital getting and get kicked by the hospital security.

"The doctors told us she went into sudden shock but they ran CT scans on her and there's no sign of brain injury, no physical assault either that could have caused it."

"Then?" Mason pressed further, getting confused by the medical reports.

"She went into cardiac arrest before passing out." Aaron answered. "Her blood tests also came out clean. There was no drug either." Mason sat on the chair in the lounge and rubbed his face, exhaling through his nose in tiredness.

"I can't afford to lose her." The man closed his eyes, as a tight lump formed in his throat. The guilt of being a failure as a father settled heavily upon him and David went to his side and sat next to him patting his shoulder in a comforting manner.

"What if...what if she never wanted to be here and I forced her here. What if it's about us that stressed her out..."

"She's happy to be here..." Annabeth said to Mason. "A little hesitant but she spoke of David with a great respect."

"I think we should wait for her to wake up. She's the only one who could answer." Chris suggested and as much as David hated to admit, he knew that the boy was right and they should wait for Ava to wake up before jumping into wrong conclusion.

-

Elderly advisor  of the royal court, Lord Patronovich proposed that Queen Averinka must offer herself in a political marriage to neighboring Kingdom to bind two states into a strong connection.

"Kingdom of Veroy, has increased its access territory to the Eastern border of Kalenich after defeating its opponent army. Its position is stronger and put our state under the threat of falling crown." Lord Mikhail spoke to the court and Averinka glanced at her uncle who remained seated silent at the table throughout the meeting.

"The proposal is, political marriage with Tinkertoy would not promise us strong alliance if Veroy goes against the war, the Queen's position is also guaranteed on the throne." Lord Gavini suggested to the body of council who nodded in favor of his proposal.

"Are you stating the being a woman makes my position vulnerable?" Queen directed her question towards Lord Gavini who taken by the Queen's sudden implication of words, amf coughed before standing up to reply before the advisers.

"You must give a King to this Kingdom. A woman's position is always threatened."

"There is no as much threat to me as said by the council. The kingdom of Tinkertoy wants as much as power as that of Veroy. The crown is also threatened through the political marriage. By finding a King for my Kingdom, I'm reduced to a King's consort."

Averinka noticed a sudden frown forming on Vladislav's forehead, and turned her attention back to the Lords.

"If I have to choose consort for myself, I'd go for the Prince Edmund of the Nordin Kingdom."

"But your majesty..." Vladislav tried to object but Averinka raised her hand, and looked at her uncle straight in his eye.

"The court is dismissed and your Lordships must join for the afternoon meal in the royal hall." They all stood up and bowed in courtesy, and Averinka left the meeting room only to find Irina and Vladimir standing at the end of the hallway. Irina, unlike her lady like attire was dressed in trenches and boots; there was a leather buckled coat her black squire's shirt with a sword tucked in her belt. Averinka remembered seeing Vladimir and Irina in a sword fight, one evening sparring in the back courtyard of his quarters near the stables. The queen wondered what had made Vladmimir to teach the girl how to handle a sword, given the fact she's a blood sucking creature who could cut back his throat.

"Your Eminence must proceed to the royal hall for the meal." The girl with a dead serious tone, and the queen looked between Irina and then back to Vladmimir who gave the queen a sharp nod before following the queen to the halls.

'There's a treason against the crown.' Averinka remembered Irina's words and held her silence.

When the Tsarina entered the hall, the lords stood at the table and bowed in courtesy along with royal guards, and maids and servants who stood in line near the dining table. Averinka motioned them to sit and start having their meal. Vladimir and Irina stood on each side of the Queen's chair with crossed arms under their busts, with chest thrusted outwards they appeared somberly menacing.

"Are you not eating, your majesty?" Lord Gavini asked noticing that the plate of the queen was still empty and the woman was not touching anything.

"I have asked the cook to prepare broth for me. I'm feeling under the weather after the council."

"I have heard this lady is from Cruliana?" Lord Mikhail questioned taking in the attire of Irina who stood with a raised chin and gave him a sharp look, not holding back from a bold stare.

"It's a small country near the Northern Kingdom, one might not have heard about it and be bothered."

"The guest is not expected to be dressed as High royal guard." The questioned was directed at Queen, but Irina answered for herself instead of them raising questions against Averinka as their queen.

"Since the day I'm brought here, I have been receiving training under Knight Vladimir's mentor-ship as his accomplice."

"It's not in the custom for a woman to stand as a soldier. A lady must hold her grace." Lord Arnold argued filling his tumbler with grape wine.

"The novice will pass as a personal royal guard since I can't keep Vladimir from his other duties." Sabea entered with Kayak and served the bowl of broth before the queen, pouring a small bowl of broth to her and set it for the queen to eat. But Irina beat Averinka to it, and pulled spoon from her hand and gave it to Sabea.

"Eat the borscht." Irina ordered.

"Pardon, Lady Irina but what do you..."

"I asked you to taste the borscht before the queen does." The girl repeated herself and the maid noticed that Vladimir himself, had turned towards her.

"What's going on?" Lord Gavini asked confused and queen rested her forehead against her crossed hands.

"This servant had tried to poison the Queen this morning, did you not?" Loud gasps were heard in the hall and Averinka snapped her head up staring at the scowling Irina.

"I-I didn't!" The maid stepped back trying to defend her but Irina picked on her heartbeat and Vladimir drew out his sword which made the royal guards to surround her.

"Then why do you not taste it?" Vladimir seethed and pressed blade of his sword against her throat, but when she didn't move Vladmimir raised his sword ready to strike her when the woman screamed throwing herself at his feet.

"It's Lord Vladislav!" Vladislav stood up in rage and slammed his fists on the table.

"What kind of lunacy is this?" But Vladmimir was faster on his feet to grab the man from behind and pressed blade of his sword against his throat. The act made rest of the royal guards to draw out their swords and held at Vladislav.

"Do not show any movement or I'll cut your head." Vladimir threatened restraining the man in his vice grip.

"You have devised the murder of the present crown by poisoning her." Irina disclosed before all the people present at the hall and the loud murmur broke among them.

"Have you lost your heads? Why would I try to kill my own niece?" The man defended himself urgently.

"To have Tsarvich Alexander on the throne as a next crown." Irina spoke but the queen stood paralyzed by the entire news which was unfolded before her in front of her nobles and servants.

Her Father's brother, her own blood planned her murder through poisoning and Averinka's found herself tending to her throbbing head.

"Take his royalty, Vladislav to the prison!"

"Your Majesty..." The man gasped in horror.

"Put lady Praskovya and Tsesarevich Alexander in the cell too."

"Averinka!"

"Dare not to address me as less of your Queen!" Averinka shouted back at Vladislav ." Vladimir, remove this man from my sight!"