#one day i'll be able to do these without adding a party at the palace

[feveredblurs]

❝all right, what do you do for fun?❞ pre-sturmhond chrissy to elinor!

@apaise

for fun. the notion is so foreign to elinor, the question leaves her silent for a moment. though the darkling prides herself in being a good liar, this poses an entirely new challenge. it’s not difficult to intimidate people when she has a reputation that precedes her, built carefully over the years. she never thought she’d have to appear likeable.

it’s not as though people spoke to her so casually, anyway. to everyone in os alta, she was the terrifying general frey. who would would dare ask her something so mundane? in the end, elinor supposes it’s not so surprising it’s princess chrissy. she's bold to a fault, speaking casually to one and all, from what elinor has heard of her; despite her closeness to the crown, she hasn’t been around the princesses much. she reckons the youngest must be fearful of her ( naturally ), while princess ashley doesn’t seem to be able to stand her. chrissy... she was harder to read, harder to predict.

“ well... ” elinor mulls over her answer. she brings her glass to her lips to fill in the silence, hoping to hide her struggle. taking care of her birds was fun... but it was a side of elinor she did not wish to give the princess. it was hers alone. “ this, i suppose. ” her hand motions for the people dancing before them in the ballroom. in truth, elinor couldn’t stomach these gatherings for the most part; but it seemed like the safest answer to offer.

she clears her throat, erasing any traces of painfully uncharacteristic awkwardness. “ my work doesn’t allow much free time. ” her smile is more calculated now, with just the right amount of softness. will chrissy believe she’s opening up to her? “ i’m afraid it’s quite a dull answer. i don’t have stories to share that do not involve war. ” there was much truth to that, anyway.

“ and you, your highness? ” of course, elinor knows very well about chrissy's dalliances. the maids whisper about the princess whenever she walks the hallways, giggling as they hope to catch her eye. it’s at least entertaining to see the eyeroll from the middle sister whenever she’s around. “ i’m sure you’ll have much more exciting tales. ”