A/N: Guess what? It's ALMOST the weekend! Happy Friday Eve everyone!

Saberin: Yeah...kind of pushing it with Scout and Daniel. Don't want to push it farther with Scout and someone her mother tutored at the Academy.

Raider: haha I love Brave!

Gold: Very different indeed. hehe...a oneshot Princess Diaries moment may have to make an appearance...

Disclaimer: I'm not John Flanagan. And still not Australian.

"Had I known you'd ever actually use your title I think I would have named you differently," Lina told Scout as they went in. Scout surveyed the apartment. It was bigger than her parents' cabin and Castle Araluen apartment combined. It had halls and doorways that led to who-knew-where and was decorated in gold and soft pinks Princess Rosalina would envy. Freshly cut roses of every shade of pink, red, and white Scout had ever known and then some filled crystal vases and gilded bowls. Finely embroidered tapestries hung from almost every wall.

Scout found herself actually gasping. "These are my quarters?"

"An apartment fit for a crown princess," Lina grinned. "You can explore it if you want but I'm going to rest. My arms are starting to hurt."

Scout followed her mother to an ornate bedroom with a bed so big Scout wondered if maids shared sleeping space with their mistress. Several trunks, wardrobes, and shelves lined the space. A desk had been placed near large glass doors that led to a balcony so that the occupant could steal glimpses at a spectacular view of the city while she worked.

"I thought we could sleep together tonight," Lina said as she sat on the bed. "No sense in having the maids make up a spare room when there is more than enough for both of us in this one." She stretched out her arms, rolling her shoulders slowly. "Are you going to go exploring, Scout?"

Scout shook her head. "I've plenty of time for that later."

Lina nodded. "So what would you like to do then?"

Scout walked over to a large vanity set. A mirror in a beautifully carved hardwood frame allowed her to see most of her reflection. She picked up the ivory comb and walked over to her mother. "Would you do my hair?"

Lina smiled and nodded. "Of course."

Scout sat with her back to her mother as she gently untangled the thick locks. "I'm scared, Mama. What if I'm not good enough to be a princess?"

"Well then I suppose Hibernia will have to adjust because it is your birthright."

"I have so much to learn and hardly any of the lessons interest me."

"Just go to them with an open heart. Who knows? Perhaps your tutors will be inspiring."

Scout smiled weakly. "What if I mess up?"

Lina set the comb down and separated Scout's hair into sections to braid. "What if you mess up?"

"I learn what I did wrong and grow from it," Scout recited.

"That's my girl."

Scout turned and hugged her mother once she felt her braid be tied off. "You're the best mother ever."

"I doubt that."

Scout sat up straighter and took a deep breath. "Mama? Would you tell me about your mother?"

Lina stiffened. "What?"

"I want to know what my grandmother was like."

"Why?"

Scout hugged herself. "I just…I want to know."

Lina cupped Scout's face in her hands. "The answer, biased or not, isn't a pleasant one."

"I know."

Lina sat back. "Alright then…your grandmother, Finley, withdrew herself from my life when I was young. She only saw me when it was beneficial to her. She decided the best way for me to learn was to arrange extra lessons and practices in addition to the schooling the Academy already subjected me to. She wanted me to be perfect at all costs. She had a mental idea of what mold I should fit and pushed me to become it. I know your father and I kept secrets from you but we never blatantly lied about any of them. Finley did and the things she kept were far worse than anything we ever hid from you."

"What's your strongest memory of her?"

Lina smiled sadly. She got her pack and dug through it. "I was going to give you this tomorrow but…" She withdrew a simple jade comb with longer teeth than most combs. On its handle was a beautiful, even if just slightly worn, silk flower. "This is from my captivity as a child in Nihon-Ja. I used it when I returned to the Academy so I wouldn't forget Shigeru. I was 'rescued' when I was about Caitlyn's age just before Samhain, a Hibernian festival similar to the Harvest in Araluen. We were excused for a day and a half for the holiday. Those with families spent the holiday with them. I went to my mother's apartment but she didn't come home for dinner. I never really ate without her. Blind hope made me think she'd walk through the door at any moment. After a few hours I made myself a mug of cider. I swear it took me at least two more hours to finish it. I was so sure she'd be back before I was done. Out of anger I broke the mug.

"Of course, shortly after my outburst, she walked in. She told me to clean it up and went to her bedroom. I did as told thinking she'd return to comb my hair and tell me stories, like I do for you and your sister."

Scout smiled. "I like your stories, Mama."

Lina looked back at the comb. "She turned me away."

Scout frowned. She wrapped her arms around her mother's waist as though she were a little girl again. "Thank you, Mama."

Lina laughed and put her hands on Scout's shoulders. "For what?"

"Not being like that."

Lina bent down and kissed Scout's forehead. She slid the comb into Scout's thick braid and pressed against the jade until it was secure. "I know there were a few long absences but nothing could have kept me from being there for you and Caitlyn. You two are more important to me than anyone else."

Scout giggled. "What about Papa?"

Lina shrugged. "He can care for himself."

They changed into their night shifts and settled into the bed. Scout stared out the large window. "Mama?"

"Hm?"

"What's it like?"

"What's what like?"

"Leaving home for a new life you are completely unsure about?"

There were a few long moments of silence before Scout got her answer. "Scout, I spent my entire life up until you were a toddler discovering where my home really was. I loved you and your father more than life but it took an injury that has left me lame for the rest of my days to put into perspective what home truly was and ever since I never left it…not really. I don't have an understanding of childhood home like normal people because I didn't have a childhood home. I've no idea what you're going through and I've no idea what you're feeling."

"But you're still trying to help me."

"I learned long ago that because you're my daughter isn't a good answer. I was Finley's daughter and if I faced a challenge like the one you're facing she would have left me to face it alone. But Scout, you are my daughter and I love you."

Scout smiled in the darkness. "I'm glad you're my mother."

"Me too."