A/N: Just a short one with some current events to tie in with the rp…

~~ Savannah and Nathan ~~

Coming back to the Institute after an afternoon in the Downworld Towns where Savannah had talked to a peculiar former Hunt faerie, she found she wanted nothing more than to have a rest. It had been a while since she had allowed herself the luxury of having some time to herself. As she approached her room however, she slowed, frowning as she noticed her door was slightly ajar. She always locked it when she left. If Piper had been snooping in her room, she swore she'd be annoyed with her.

Approaching her room and keeping her footsteps quiet, a dagger found its way into her hand, and she nudged the door open with her foot. She had little time to look around however, a knife coming straight for her, as if someone had been waiting there. Inhaling quickly, she sidestepped, raising her dagger to push the knife away. Her opponent was quick to follow up with a return strike however, and it only grazed her arm as she pulled away further. "Damn it, Nathan," she muttered, able to recognize the knife and the style anywhere. "What are you doing here?"

He paused, and she took the opportunity to force her way inside her room, following up with her own strike and moving to grab his wrist with her other hand. They tussled for a few more moments, her hair only serving to get in the way, before they finally broke apart.

Nathan eyed her, finally giving a small smile. "Hey, little sis. Glad to see you haven't completely lost your edge."

She rolled her eyes, pushing her door shut and finally setting her dagger down once he'd tucked his knife away. It reminded her of when she'd been younger and they'd challenge each other, both trying to sneak up on and outwit the other. She did not hate her brother, despite the annoyance he could pose – if anything, he was the only one who could understand the kind of pressure she was under. "Of course I haven't. I see you haven't grown out of your childish games, though."

"Admit it, you missed me," Nathan laughed, scanning her room. "Not a bad set up you've got here. Mason was obliging enough to give me a key when I asked."

Of course he did - Mason likely would have known it would have annoyed her. "What are you doing here?" she asked again, this time more of a demand in her tone. "Did our parents send you?"

"Who cares if they sent me or not?" he shrugged, meeting her gaze. "What matters is that you've made a bit of a mess here, and we need to fix it. We can't have all this causing further problems for our family."

"I'm aware of that," she said, folding her arms. "But I can handle my own problems. I've got everything under control."

"And Isaac?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "Do you have him under control?"

"Why do you ask questions that you already know the answer to?" she retorted, disliking being questioned, and he knew that. "Of course I do."

"In any case, I came to check on things. I won't be in your way for too long – I have things to manage in Madrid, after all. At least you have a new position to focus on now."

"For now," was all Savannah replied, keeping her gaze on him. "Until I get a better one."

"Ambitious," Nathan replied with another laugh, a glint of amusement in his eyes, before his tone turned serious again. "You've got to stay out of faerie business now, Savannah. This isn't just coming from me."

"I can handle myself. Stop acting like you have to tell me what to do," she said, allowing a hint of annoyance in her tone.

Nathan shook his head. "I read the notes in the file. You have some kind of ties with a former Unseelie faerie who is currently in trouble with the Clave. You gave him things you shouldn't have. You know we can't afford to be so involved with the fae. It's a good thing your position has changed, really. Dealing with the Seelie Court is just asking for trouble."

"He gave me good information in exchange," she defended, straightening. "I know what I'm doing."

Her brother watched her for a long moment. "I'm not so sure you do anymore."

A hint of frustration was visible in her eyes, before it was gone. "I really do hope you're not planning on staying long. I've got it under control, and I don't need you meddling in it. Anyway, I'm tired – I've had a big day. I'm sure you can see yourself out."

"Mum and Dad wanted me to come," he sighed. "Like I said, I won't be here for too long." Turning away, he headed towards the door, his hand pausing on the doorknob. "Just take care of yourself, Savannah," he said, before starting out, back into the hallway.

~~ Kellan and the Seelie Queen ~~

Kellan was nervous about asking the Seelie Queen for permission to court Tif, partly because he had no idea what she'd say in return. The Queen was still a mystery to him, and getting to know her was like trying to put the pieces of a puzzle together to form a better picture.

When he'd asked a guard to speak with her, the guard had directed him to one of her many chambers, which had a small waterfall at one end. Walking to stand near it, he raised a hand to his hair to check it was still clipped in place, before lowering it again. Usually, she summoned him when she wanted to talk, not the other way around. He only had to wait a little while before she emerged from the other end of the chamber, wearing a long, flowing blue dress. He turned to look over at her, before averting his gaze and giving a small bow. "Thank you for meeting with me," he said, as he straightened, the sound of the waterfall trickling in the background.

He could see a small smile on the edge of her lips as she approached him, coming to a stop and studying him. "You only have to ask, and I will come," she replied, her voice melodic and calm. "What is it you would like to speak on?"

Kellan was unsure of how to word it, and he hesitated for a moment, before finally speaking up. "I am… interested in courting Tif," he said, realizing with a hint of embarrassment that he didn't know her family name. "A guard here."

The Queen was silent for a long moment, and he could have sworn that he'd noticed a hint of surprise in her gaze, before it was gone. "Tif Calliope. I know of her," she remarked, slowly. "Why are you so interested in her?"

She seemed to study him intently, and he swallowed, looking away. Sometimes it felt like she could read him like a book, in just a few moments. "We have become close and she is… from a good family. It would be a good courtship, I think."

"Yes, her family is well known," the Queen acknowledged, inclining her head. "And hard working. I simply… thought you desired other things."

He froze, wondering what she meant by that, his cheeks warming. Did she know about his feelings for Ethos? "I like Tif. I've always found her easy to talk with. She's been a good friend, and I do want to make you proud."

The Queen rested a hand under his chin, raising it to be level with hers, before she drew her hand back. "I see. It would be good for you to experience Seelie courting, I admit. It might teach you some important skills and Seelie ways. And such courtships do not always last forever."

Kellan considered her last words. It almost felt like… she was humoring him, if only for a little while. Perhaps she did have something else planned for the future, but he was too scared to ask.

The Queen continued after a pause. "I will give it my blessing and meet with her family. I'm sure they will have requested that."

"Yes, they have," Kellan replied, inclining his head. "Thank you for agreeing – it means a lot."

"We will find a mutually appropriate time to meet," she said, reaching out to brush a red curl that had fallen down behind his ear. "And discuss things. It is nice that you are becoming close to people here in the Seelie Court."

"I agree," Kellan said, careful not to move, to not bump her hand. "It is… good for me."

The Queen made a sound of agreement, moving to kiss his cheek lightly, before she drew back. "I will let you know when we decide on a date. I have other business I must attend to now, but I will see you then."

"Of course," Kellan replied, inclining his head. "Thank you again," he said, before straightening.

She watched him for a moment longer, before she finally started away, exiting the chamber. Kellan let out a breath he didn't realise he'd been holding. At least she'd agreed, so that was a positive. If the Seelie Court thought he was courting Tif, it would take any pressure off Ethos and hopefully make it easier for them to find opportunities to talk. That was of course, if Ethos was even still interested in talking to him. Feeling uncertain, Kellan gave the waterfall another glance, before he started away, hoping he'd made the right decision.