Katrin lay on her bed with her eyes shut, her feet resting on the headboard while she absent-mindedly strummed her guitar. At the unexpected knock on her door, she leaned her head back and opened her eyes. "Come in." Seeing that it was Christoph, she looked back at the ceiling and shut her eyes again. "Hey."

He snorted. "I know that there is always a thrill at seeing your favourite older brother, but please temper your excitement just a little bit so as not to scare the innocent bystanders."

Katrin grinned. "Well, if you insist, I shall endeavour to hold myself in check."

Christoph shut the door then threw himself down on Katrin's bed. "Oof." He took hold of a strand of her hair and started twisting it. "So, what's new?"

"Oh, you mean apart from getting called home weeks earlier than expected, possibly having to back out of some contracts because of that, being required to participate in pomp and circumstance -- complete with ridiculously extravagant clothes -- tomorrow, and then finding out that the world doesn't work the way I have always been told it has? Nothing much."

"Uh huh."

When he didn't say anything else, she turned her head to look at him. He was staring at her with a knowing look. "What?"

He tapped her nose with the strand of hair. "That wasn't what I meant."

She looked at him suspiciously. "What?"

"I hardly think that this whole thing with the Goblins is the reason you have been playing that song for the past forty-five minutes."

She immediately stopped playing. "I have not... ok, so I have. But it hasn't been that long..." She looked at a clock and sighed. "Ok, so maybe it has. But how did you hear it?"

"I didn't. Your room is right next to Andreas' and both of you have your windows open. He came to me and asked me what he should do because your playing was driving him nuts. I told him to either shut his window or just bang on the wall until you stopped. He didn't seem to think those were good ideas. I asked him what the problem was since he normally enjoys it. He said it wasn't the fact that you were playing so much as it was the same song over and over again, and it wasn't even a good song. When he told me which one it was, I said that I'd talk to you."

She looked at the window that was wide open. "Oh." He put the strand of hair across her forehead, then flipped the rest of her loose hair over her face. She blew it out of the way and gave him a flat look. "You are such a dork." Katrin set her guitar in its case and pushed it under the bed, then went over to the window.

"This coming from the girl who has been playing the same song for almost an hour." He sat up and leaned against the headboard. "So? What gives? Did something happen Aboveground?"

Katrin pulled the window shut and stood there looking out of it for a long moment before answering. "Did something happen," she repeated sardonically. "I guess you could say that."

"I see. And does he -- oh, pardon. Does this 'something that happened' have a name?"

She turned abruptly. "What??"

Christoph chuckled. "You have the best reactions, I swear. Look, Andreas might not remember the last time you played that song for hours on end, but I do. You were twelve and had the biggest crush on that guy, and then he went and got married." He shook his head. "Though why him of all people I'll never understand."

"Oh, shut up."

"Come on, he was way too old for you, and had the personality of a goldfish. And --"

She cut him off. "Before you go on waxing poetic about the faults of my childhood crush, I would like to point out that you are just as guilty of fascinations with goldfish, and on more accounts than me. Remember Arielliana? And Gloryenne? And then there was --"

He held up his hands in defeat. "Ok, ok. We'll put the goldfish off as follies of youth. But the point is, I remember you played that song, and only that song, for days. Then you got over him, and hadn't played it since. And if I remember, I know that Mom and Dad remember. So you might want to vary your playlist before they hear you and start nosing around." Katrin groaned and threw herself down on the bed, covering her head with a pillow. "Of course, now that I have discovered the truth, I could do something cruel, such as use the information for blackmail..." He trailed off, waiting to see how she'd rise to that piece of bait, hoping for a pillow fight reminiscent of days long past.

She disappointed him, only letting out another groan. "Don't bother. Dad already knows," came her muffled reply.

Damn. Strike one. He lifted the corner of her pillow and peeked in at her. "Oh, really? How did that happen?"

"He was spying on me. Granted, it was unintentional. He was looking for me to tell me that I had to come home and happened upon us eating lunch at Alistair's. He started to give me the third degree later, but the importance of the Goblin thing outweighed that particular train of questioning, thankfully. And I got him to promise not to tell Mom about it."

"Score one for you. Though I wouldn't count that as a victory for long."

She groaned again. "Tell me about it."

"But at least -- wait, wait. You were eating lunch at Alistair's? You already took him there? Sounds pretty serious."

"It isn't. We only just met the other day and then had lunch together."

"Sure, Kati." He obviously didn't believe her. "No wonder Dad was in a foul mood when he returned Underground after looking for you." He let out a low whistle. "Man, you haven't even taken me, your dear brother, to Alistair's and you took this guy." They were silent for a few minutes. "I take it he's a Mortal, then?"

"Yeah."

Christoph nodded. "And what is his name?"

"Fitzwilliam Weasley. Bill for short."

"And where did you find him?"

"At the ___ Park Faire."

He snatched the pillow off of her head.

"Hey!"

"I thought you said that the men you work with at those Faires of yours did not make good relationship material, and the ones that did were already taken, and the ones that weren't taken but would have had honourable intentions were consumed with providing you with nothing beyond brotherly companionship, which didn't matter anyway because you weren't interested in any of them. And don't deny that you said it, because I distinctly remember that particular rant."

"I won't deny it. He didn't work there. He was a patron." She glared at him in response to his incredulous look. "If you're going to be like that you can just leave."

"No. However, because I am a kind, loving, and generous person, I will change the subject."

Katrin rolled her eyes. "Thou art truly most kind and generous, your Highness."

He loftily waved one hand. "Yes, I am, aren't I."

"Humble, too," she muttered. "What is the new topic of discussion?"

"What do you think is going to happen tomorrow?"

"You mean with the delegation?" He nodded. "I really don't know. I'm still trying to wrap my brain around this whole Magical Realm thing. I can't shake the feeling that there is something else Dad isn't telling us. And it worries me that he is worried about the involvement of the High Court, and that there is a chance what he decides will be against Their desires."

"I know what you mean. I can't decide if I want time to go slowly to prolong having to deal with it or for time to go swiftly so it will be over."

"Well," Katrin began after a few silent moments, "it is probably just as well that you can't decide, as Dad would only tell you that reordering time is not acceptable except in 'dire circumstances' when it is 'absolutely necessary'."

He chuckled, "True."

They were quiet once again. "Although," she continued after a few minutes, "I think I would prefer it to go slowly. Anything to prolong getting done up in full regalia." She stuck out her tongue. "Blah."

Christoph turned and regarded her. "You know, I never could understand your aversion to Courtly garb."

She looked up at him. "Why not?"

"Well, it is true that it is rather extravagant and horribly old fashioned at times, almost to the point of being ridiculous..."

Her eyes narrowed. "But?"

He looked at the ceiling innocently. "But considering you spend the entire summer running around with people who dress just as extravagantly and even more horribly old fashioned and ridiculous, and even join in with great enjoyment..."

"You!" Katrin grabbed another pillow and smacked him with it.

"It's about time!" Christoph responded, as he began pelting her with the pillow that was still in his hand. Soon, they were at it in full force.

In his room next door, Andreas heard muffled shrieks. "Now what," he muttered, stomping to his sister's room. "Those two are making so much noise." When no one responded to his knock, he flung open the door. "What are you do -- PILLOW FIGHT!" He hollered down the hallway. There was a massive thundering of feet and banging of doors as Lewis and Justin poked their heads out their doors and the three brothers ran to get pillows of their own and join the fun.

Hand in hand, Jareth and Sarah walked up the stairs that led to the suite containing the bedrooms of their five older children. Only Michael did not have space there yet, as he still slept in the nursery connected to their own rooms. As they opened the large set of doors on the landing, they could hear a good deal of laughter emanating from their daughter's bedroom. Exchanging a look, they were about to turn around and go back downstairs when they heard a loud THUMP! Sighing, Jareth went on ahead toward the room. Sarah grinned, shaking her head, and followed him.

"Ow!"

"Watch the table!"

"Hey, that's not fair!"

"Foul! Foul! Fo-oof!"

"Oh, get off!"

"AAAAARR!!"

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!"

Five pairs of eyes turned to the doorway at the sound of the roar, and no one moved. Christoph was lying on the floor, Lewis had his hands pinned down and Katrin was sitting on his stomach. Andreas was paused in mid-swing to get Katrin upside the head, though he might have missed as Justin was standing on the bed aiming for Andreas' own head. "Hello Father," came the chorus of innocent sounding voices.

"Well?" asked their father, one eyebrow raised. His five children simply exchanged looks and grinned at him, innocently. Jareth sighed. "Go to bed. We have a long day tomorrow."

"Yes, Dad."

He turned around and looked at Sarah who was leaning on the wall next to the door, trying not to smile. He was about to walk away when he heard two consecutive 'thwumps' and the sound of something exploding. When he looked back over his shoulder, he saw a large cloud of feathers hiding his giggling children. "Enough." He casually tossed a crystal and the feathers were gone. "Bed. Now." He pointed at each of them in turn. "And no more laughing tonight." With that he turned and walked down the hallway. Sarah took his arm and gave him a questioning look, the laughter shining out of her eyes. He grinned down at her and winked. As they reached the doors to the stairs, they heard each of their children make a final comment.

"Who is he trying to kid? 'No more laughing', indeed. Like he isn't guilty of causing hysterics? You should have heard him and Mother in the Throne Room earlier."

"Again?" Audible sigh.

"Rabbits, I swear."

"Ew!"

"Why are they rabbits?"

There was a long pause, then the other four answered in unison, "Ok! Time for bed!" Had any of them bothered to listen, they would have heard more laughter coming from the stairwell.