It was the day before the Eldouir would appear in the palace. Scout was working in her office, reading through documents written by the previous Advisor of Law, to familiarise herself with her new job. Sometime that afternoon, a knock on the door made her frown. She wasn't expecting anyone.

"Come in", she said, putting the quill in the inkpot. When she saw Annabeth, her mood became sour. She had made it clear that she and Annabeth weren't friends anymore, and that Scout preferred not to be associated with the woman.

But Scout was a diplomat. She didn't makes scenes, and didn't say anything when Annabeth put her hood down. The brunette started talking immediately, so there hadn't been time for Scout to even tell Annabeth to please leave the room. So she listened, little expression on her face.

"I have no knowledge of any plans you have with my uncle and grandmother", she said, not moving a muscle. She was surprised to hear they were working with Annabeth. For what reason? They had been the ones who didn't like that Astor was a Porter and had told her not to let the Porter's reputation harm the Kane's reputation, but now they had decided to work with Annabeth Porter, who had a very bad reputation? Not the worst out of all Porters, but probably the worst out of all the female Porters.

"And why do you believe I would want to make amends? As far as I know, I've told you what I think already, and nothing has changed since."

She didn't tell Annabeth to get out, but she also didn't invite her to sit.

Scout listened to the explanation of what her family had her do, but didn't respond to it. She didn't understand why her grandmother felt the need to make sure Annabeth didn't do anything foolish. They had distanced themselves from the Porters after Astor died, and they had never pretended to be okay with how the Porter family operated. Now Helena had associated with them again. Her uncle, she could understand. Annabeth had been the one who had received information from Simon, and someone who Simon trusted, so working with her to gather information made sense.

But Scout just moved on to the amends without saying anything about the previous topic. "How exactly are you taking responsibility for your actions?" she asked. "Apologizing and telling everyone you've changed might work on more naive people, but I just can't see why hollow words should change my mind?" There was no 'us' in this, to Scout. Annabeth seemed to suffer under the fact that they weren't friends anymore, but to Scout, it was nothing. Just a bad situation over and dealt with. She didn't understand why Annabeth though Scout would want to get involved again.

She frowned on disdain. Meditation? Were Annabeth's impulses so bad that she needed to meditate to control them? In order not to cheat on your husband, she would need to meditate? Did she not have a voice that simply told her what was right and wrong, and what would have grave consequences?

"Be that as that may," Scout said, "You haven't exactly done anything to repair your reputation either. Okay, you've been helping an investigation, fair enough, but that's only because Simon decided to trust you. If he hadn't, we wouldn't have anything to consider an attempt to do good." She wasn't frowning anymore, and was back to her serious face. "No matter what good deeds you suddenly decide to do, until everyone has forgotten the shame you've brought upon yourself, I will not be associated with you in any way, shape or form." It was harsh, but Scout wasn't as kind as she used to be. Lorendale had seen to that.

It was becoming increasingly difficult for Scout not to make random gestures out of frustration. She breathed in slowly through her nose and out through her mouth. She definitely wasn't the only one who didn't forget about what she had done. Her husband had suspected her of cheating, had forbidden her to see Dresden, then she had seen him again and the cherry on top had been her actually cheating with Remiel. And that was just on a personal level. She had almost been fired before, and then actually fired after the latest rumors. The blonde didn't understand how Annabeth thought that one small good deed, which was just her duty as a good citizen, would make people forget everything else.

And even then, Annabeth had the balls to come to her, ask to be friend again, essentially, and ask for advice.

"My advice would be to do the job my uncle has tasked you with, ask him for expectations and advice, instead of me who doesn't have anything to do with the job you've been tasked to fulfill, and to stop begging for forgiveness. It is not a good look." She was now glaring at the woman. "I have told you time and time again that I will not be associated with your failings as a politician, or noblewoman. What is so hard to understand about that?"