A/N: Here's two in the past and one in the present. I also have one other part written, but I will wait a bit to post that for better timing. :) Sorry if Connor and Cadyn's part is not quite canon… These aren't the longest or the best, but I figure that something is better than nothing. It's my new motto. Haha.
~~ Connor and Cadyn ~~
As Connor started back to their room, with Cadyn close behind, he frowned as he noticed Cole slipping into Steff's room with two coffees. Once they made it into their own room, Cadyn threw the bags of supplies onto the ground, before sitting on the edge of his bed, yawning. Connor, however, still had something stuck in his thoughts, and he couldn't help but voice it. "I don't get what she sees in him," he remarked, shaking his head slightly. She didn't even drink coffee. He'd studied her enough to know that tea was the only drink she was interested in.
"Who?" Cadyn asked, glancing over at him and frowning.
"Steff," he answered, adjusting some books on his desk. "I don't know how she can stand that guy. She deserves someone better."
"She picked him," Cadyn shrugged, lying down and putting his hands behind his head. "If she doesn't like him, she should just leave him."
Connor had secretly had a crush on her for a while now, liking her kind nature and her smile, even if she seemed gullible falling for someone like Cole. She was pretty, although she didn't seem to know it, and smart too, even going out of her way to take time to talk to them. He could swear that she seemed to be able to tell them apart, a feat which no one else had been able to accomplish. "I doubt it's that easy," he argued. "I don't think he would just let her do that."
"Why do you care so much?" Cadyn retorted. "It's not like you're that close to her."
"Because-… Because-…" Connor stumbled over his words, unsure of what to say. A little embarrassed, he dropped the pen he'd just picked up onto the ground. Reaching down to pick it up again, he narrowed his eyes as he straightened. "Whatever. I can't help it if you're jealous because I've befriended someone else here and you haven't. You're just mean to her, so of course she prefers me."
"I'm not mean to her," Cadyn said on instinct, looking annoyed. He rolled over to face the wall, deciding to ignore his brother. Connor rolled his eyes, getting into his own bed and staring at the ceiling as he muttered something under her breath.
They didn't talk for the rest of the night, which was strange, when they never normally fought. Especially over a girl.
ooOoo
Connor had always just thought that Cadyn was jealous because of his crush. That he didn't want anything to come between their usual life and banter. It was only later that he realised that Cadyn liked her too… he just didn't know how to show it.
~~ Rose ~~
It had taken an awful amount of time to find a Seelie visiting the Towns that Rose could convince to deliver a letter for her. As time had gone on, she had grown more and more sure that her mother must have retreated to the Seelie Court, for she didn't seem to be able to find her in the mundane world. She could only hope that the letter would arrive safely, and that it wouldn't get her mother into any trouble, either.
Nervously, she waited in a hotel room in the Towns – one on the edge of the forest, that would not be too far for her mother to travel to. It reminded her of the past, of how they'd moved from hotel to hotel, never staying in one place for too long. She did not know whether her mother would turn up to meet her, but she hoped that she would.
Stopping by a mirror, she ran a hand through her hair, trying to fix some of the curls that weren't sitting quite right. She wanted to look at her best, but the little things seemed to stick out – from a bit of mascara under her eye, to a bit of hair at the back of her head that refused to sit right.
At a knock on the door, Rose inhaled quickly, smoothing a hand down her dress as she walked over to answer it. Her mother stood on the other side, her long golden hair flowing down her back, and her wings a brilliant orange, like the sunset.
Rose couldn't help but let out a sob as she hugged her quickly. "Mother," she murmured, blinking back tears. "I've been looking for you for so long."
Her mother rested a hand against her back, but she couldn't help but notice that she didn't seem to hug her back quite as enthusiastically.
Her mother drew back and pulled the door closed, and Rose swallowed, feeling a bit like she was a little kid again.
"You've cut your hair," her mother observed, as she walked a circle around her.
"Well-… that's a long story," she said, glancing to the side and standing up a little straighter, "But yes, I suppose I have."
Her mother picked up her hand, staring at a Rune on the back of it. It was a voyance mark – the first Rune that a Shadowhunter was usually given, on their dominant hand. She hissed, before pushing her hand away. Rose was suddenly glad that the few other Runes she had were hidden. "I see you've joined the Shadowhunters after all. After all that I have taught you," she said, her voice sounding distantly disappointed.
Rose drew her hand back, her nails digging into the mark. "I-… I didn't want to get that. I didn't want any Runes at all-…"
"You know what your father did to me, and here you are, living with the Shadowhunters, and becoming one yourself." The accusation in her tone was obvious, and Rose flinched. As soon as she had been old enough to understand, she had known what had happened. Her mother was pretty, and she supposed it was unsurprising that he had decided to force himself on her. Still, she had raised Rose as her own, even if it was a reminder of what she had lost in the Seelie, and what had happened to her.
"He forced me to get it," she said, lowering her voice. "I didn't want to."
"But you have made your choice, continuing to live among Shadowhunters," her mother replied, turning away, "And I have been allowed to start again in the Seelie. It seems we have both made our choices, ma petite fleur."
While in the past, the term had been a form of endearment, Rose no longer found it was said with a warm tone. She could only watch as her mother left soon afterwards, feeling as if perhaps no one wanted her at all.
~~ Caspian ~~
Caspian was late to the dinner that had been arranged, so he supposed he should have expected his mother's clear look of disapproval. His parents probably thought it was unlike him to be quite so disobedient, as he was usually better at following orders. He didn't doubt that he'd get in trouble later.
The dinner was a meeting between the Altridges and the Florets, to discuss the arrangement. It was in the woods in a neutral spot, although the Florets had set up the long wooden table and chairs, and the decorations. The trees surrounding the table had orbs of light and crystals hanging from them, as well as on the table to illuminate it, and the food was set out on large leaves with glasses filled with faerie drinks. While the Seelie were usually the ones known for grandeur, the Unseelie could certainly do things well when they wanted to impress.
They were all waiting for him – no one would dare be the first to sit down, for it would make out that they were better than the others. Tiana was standing at one end of the table, with both sets of parents standing on either side, so he made his way over to the other end of the table, thinking it was all rather formal. "… I'm sorry," he said, biting his tongue lightly in an attempt to keep himself in line. "I was sparring with another faerie, and it went… longer than anticipated." That was the best he could come up with, without lying about his reluctance to come.
Tiana's parents inclined their head, accepting his apology. "We are glad you made it here," her mother replied, and everyone moved to sit down. The chairs were designed without backs, to not hinder their wings, although he found himself uncomfortable, either way.
His mother gave a toast to their families, and he gulped down a bit of his drink, finding it had a strong sweetness, that left a tingle on his tongue. As they picked up their cutlery and started eating the dinner – a stew made of some kind of Unseelie creature and vegetables – their parents talked idly, and he felt Tiana's gaze on him, from across the table, although he ignored her, focusing on his food.
Suddenly, he felt all of their eyes on him, and he realised that he'd missed a question meant for him. Swallowing, he glanced over at Tiana's parents. "Sorry?"
"We were just asking what you were hoping to be when you come of age?" her father repeated, and he took a moment to consider the question. They wanted to see whether he would amount to anything, and whether he had aims and goals.
"I will follow in my father's footsteps," he said, keeping his words confident. "I will help out with the King's security, and the patrols, and eventually aim to be in charge of them, like he is."
"Ah, what a noble and skilled occupation," Tiana's mother replied, giving a smile. "I am sure you will make him proud."
At this, Caspian merely lowered his gaze, although he did sneak a quick look at his father. He did not often show his expression outwardly, but Caspian had become good at sensing his mood, and he thought that perhaps his father was pleased.
"And how about you, Tiana?" his mother asked, shifting her gaze to the other young faerie.
"I hope to continue to develop my magic," she replied, as if such conversations came easily to her. "I will see what I have the most affinity for, although at the moment, it seems I am well suited to healing magic."
"That will be useful," his mother agreed, inclining her head, and Tiana looked happy at her remark. "How are you and Caspian getting along?"
At the question, Caspian tensed, knowing she could easily tell them exactly how unfriendly he had been acting towards her.
"Caspian and I have a… mutual understanding," she replied, wording it carefully, and he exhaled slowly. She had covered for him, although she didn't have to.
Once they had all finished their meals, the conversation quickly turned to business, and Caspian could almost feel the shift in attitude, in the air. It was the real reason they were there, after all.
"I have great faith in our bloodlines, and their linking," Tiana's mother started, glancing between them. "It will only strengthen our power, and our magic."
His own mother inclined her head, her fingers delicately wrapping around the stem of her glass. "Yes, both of our bloodlines can be traced back to the archangel Camael, and both of our lines include a Greater demon. It could not get much stronger than that."
Caspian took another sip of his drink, feeling Tiana's gaze on him again. This time, he met her inquisitive gaze briefly, before he looked away, averting his gaze to his glass. They continued to talk about them as if they were not there, and Caspian half wondered why they had invited them along at all. To show them off, perhaps. It was not like he had much of a say in any of it.
He zoned out during most of the talking, finding that the orbs of light made the veins in their wings glisten and shine, as if alight. He was distracted by such things easily, far from interested in all the details, and when they wanted to start it all.
Finally, it seemed they were finishing up, and he rose to his feet when the rest of them did. Biding each other a good evening, Caspian merely inclined his head in a farewell, before he walked to join his parents as they started away, on a path through the trees.
He remained silent, and he decided it was a bad sign when his parents remained that way, as well. When they had walked a fair distance away, his mother finally turned to him, coming to a stop. "Do you have any idea how long we were waiting for you? Do you understand that you could have messed this all up for us?" she asked, her eyes cold as ice.
When he didn't reply quick enough, she grabbed his chin roughly, forcing him to look at her. "I said, do you understand?"
He hissed, although he didn't pull away, staring back at her. "I understand," he said, finally, a little reluctantly.
"Do you not realise that your father and I went through the exact same thing? That we did it all without complaining once?" she continued slowly, watching him to make sure he was listening, her nails digging in slightly. "You are showing your weakness, Caspian, and I will not have it. We have done a lot for you, and this is the one thing we ask of you."
He had not imagined his parents going through the same arduous meetings, and it was strange for him to try and picture. His cheeks burned in shame, and he finally exhaled when she let him go. It was known that it was hard for faeries to have children, and it became especially hard as they grew older. He did not doubt that his parents would have tried for another child, but been unsuccessful. He wished that they had been successful, if only so that all the pressure would not have been on his shoulders.
"… I will not mess it up," he muttered, unable to stand the thought of a weakness showing.
"You better not," she replied, before she started away again, and he followed, numbly. His mother's anger was expected, and something that he could deal with. She came and went often, and he did not need to see her every day. His father though… Caspian glanced at him sidelong, his heart sinking at the disappointment that was clear in his expression. His father was a constant in his life, and disappointing him was worse than anything else.
Caspian wasn't sure why he couldn't just get over things.