#IM STILL NOT OVER NETTIE HOLDING ONTO SAMMY

[thesundowncrew]

Sow'in's focus had been on the other two the whole time, he didn't notice the girl giving him a one-over before latching onto him. The ghoul stiffened just ever so slightly at the contact and, without moving his head, looked down to where Nettie was holding. The ghoul said nothing and let her be, returning his attention to Ophelia and Bran.

Ophelia's pointed ears twitched upon hearing the boy's question for her, which was obviously relayed from the littler one. It took her a moment to process. "Oh? OH?? HO HO HO HO HO!" She laughed so heartily and her cheeks flushed with color, the gold freckles on her face sparkled with a tinge of pink. "Oh goodness! No, I'm not a princess, but I am a lady of her highness' court~" she answered, looking Nettie in the eyes. She was going to have a lot of fun with her later but for now, she needed to get back to the topic at hand; Bran.

"Now then! Lets have a look at you!" Unfortunately the boy had underestimated the lady's reach. Ophelia adjusted herself and held Bran's face with both hands, giving his cheeks a big squeeze. "Oooh tsk tsk tsk," she cooed affectionately as one would a small animal or pet, turning his face over and inspecting the leaf-shaped scar growing on his skin. "Oh have you been eating well, darling? You're all skin and bones! Not to worry, I've made sure to pack more nutritious things for you this time! Children should be plump and round and happy but you can't just be eating bread and sweets all the time~"

For a faerie her size she was surprisingly gentle, or at the very least knew how to control her strength when dealing with smaller creatures. After tussling his hair and straightening out his cardigan for him, Ophelia was finally done fussing over the boy. Her initial excitement had finally calmed down though her cheery disposition never wavered. She spoke softly, not wanting to scare the boy off now that he'd gathered the courage to come so close.

"Now," she started, smiling warmly. "A little dark and gloomy birdie told me that you've been studying very hard and I'm sure you have plenty of questions in that little head of yours. Unfortunately, as much as I would looove to help you, I'm bound by my court and the court rules I'm forbidden to assist. How-everrrr~" Her voice danced around her words playfully, rolling her eyes and looking the ghoul's way. "If Sow'in ever asked me any questions, I'm always more than happy to share! After all, who's to say if such answers may or may not be of any help to you~"

What had Sow'in done for her fiefdom? Countless questions swirled around Bran’s mind as well, tangled with lingering fear. The boy silently reminded himself over and over that they weren’t in danger. They were under Sundown’s protection. Sow'in had told them she meant them no harm, and surely the ghoul had no doubts about trusting her… right?

She asked him to come closer.

Bran’s worry spiked all at once, and terror flitted across his face despite his best efforts to keep his expression neutral. He did not want to come closer. The thought of eating flowers made him even more anxious. He looked to Sow'in for guidance and found the ghoul standing next to Nettie. You are safe, said his dark gaze, and Bran tried his best to trust him.

The boy had turned back to Ophelia when he felt a tug at his sleeve. He glanced back to see Nettie gesturing for him to lean down. He obeyed quickly, and Nettie stood on tiptoe to whisper a rushed request in his ear. Bran’s face flushed. He shook his head in desperate protest, only for Nettie to give him a pleading look that crushed his willpower to refuse.

He took a deep breath to quell his nerves before he straightened to face Ophelia again. His cheeks and the tips of his ears burned as he approached her. His hands gripped his cardigan to hide their trembling.

Behind him, Nettie instantly felt lost without Bran’s hand to hold. She glanced beside her at Sow'in‘s skeletal hand, then up to his face, nervousness bright in her eyes. She didn’t meet his gaze, but her small hand drifted to gently clutch the edge of his sleeve.

Bran stopped at what felt like a safe distance from Ophelia, hopefully outside grabbing range (it was, in fact, just within grabbing range). “She, um…” Another breath, and the words tumbled out in an embarrassed rush. “She’d like to know if you’re a princess.” Unsure how Ophelia would react, Bran hurried to add, “If you don’t mind sharing, that is.”