Elvin Vale

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Faelwen had paused a moment to work out a knot before continuing to run her fingers through the silver strands. An unfamiliar feeling met with her hand as her hand brushed against the braid. She looked confused, she hadn't braided her hair this morning. In fact she couldn't remember anyone braiding her hair. Her eyes looked up to find Kris gazing intently at her. A smile slowly spread over her lips as she realized Kris must have been the culprit. Ah, he must have done that when she had fallen asleep earlier. "Kris...I didn't know you could braid..." It was usually a woman's job or a servant's job to fix hair, and finding Kris had learned was especially surprising. It was nice...now she could have yet another excuse to be near him.

Her hand smoothed down a few hairs that had escaped the twine. It would be nice if she could keep the small braid...but that may strike some people at the castle as odd. Usually if her hair were braided, she would have all her hair braided. She stepped over to him to gently take his free hand. "Would you want to braid the rest of my hair? I'd feel bad if I just took out this one and the my hair loose." They would need a tie or ribbon to fasten the end though. Hmmm, she may need to get creative. Acting on a sudden idea, Fae rummaged through her basket and soon found a length of twine that had held her package closed. "Here we go...you can use this."
 
Aaaand she noticed it. Kris grinned, pleased with himself and glad she liked it, but the way his cheeks burned pink and he avoided her gaze for a few seconds as she probed him revealed that he felt at least a bit shy about the matter. "Yeah, I get that a lot," he said. "A woman taught me once. It's a useful skill." Well, perhaps only useful for getting girls to squeal in happy surprise, but that counted in his book. He was touched that she wanted to keep the little braid, but it was starting to look messy without being tied closed at the end, and it did make more sense for Faelwen to wear her hair some other way. The suggestion that he redo her hair in a larger braid, however, made him perk up, warmth blooming his chest. "I'm flattered, milady," he said with a dip of his head, his smile widening. "I would be honored to do your hair."

He waited a moment for her to come back with a scrap of twine from their packaging and took it in his free hand. "Thank you. Shall we sit down?" He'd been informed at least twice by women that having one's hair done was a soothing experience. He hadn't ever known the feeling himself, but with any luck, he could bring Faelwen a few more precious moments of peace before they returned to the castle, and he imagined she would be much more relaxed if she could sit down for it. He made a place for himself on the soft grass, his legs crossed, and placed the diadem carefully in his lap, trusting that Faelwen would join him and sit with her back to him. The piece of twine was set down for the time being as well, leaving both hands free.

He began his work. The first task was to undo the small braid in front; he slipped it back over her shoulder and slowly teased the strands apart from the bottom up. After a minute or two, the braid was completely smoothed out of her hair. Then he reached his hands around the edges of her face and swept back all of her hair cleanly. He asked her, "Do you want a few strands in front to frame your face, or should I braid the whole thing?", and if the answer was the former, he carefully combed out a lock of hair in front of each of her ears and let them hang in front. At last, he parted the bulk of her silky hair into three smooth bundles and began to weave them slowly together. Whenever he braided hair, he had to fight back an awkward thought of I'm a guy, I feel like I shouldn't be doing this. He did it anyway. Although he was not the recipient of the treatment, he did find the activity itself calming, and pleasing Faelwen with his work would be worth it ten times over, he was sure.

It took several minutes to work his way down her long tresses. At last he reached the end of her hair, and keeping the end of the braid as neat as he could, he picked up the string in his lap and tied it in a bow to fasten the braid off. "There we go," he said, satisfaction audible in his voice as he tugged the bow tight. "Is this sufficient, milady?"
 
Faelwen couldn't stop from clapping her hands together in glee when he agreed. It was SO wonderful to have someone else do your hair. Fae often got tired well before she finished, and would simply leave it loose after that. She waited for him to get situated, and sat in front of him with her back facing him. It seemed like she was a child again, asking for her hair to get braided. It was something that her mother often did for the girl. Fae hummed a little after he pulled back the bulk of her hair. His hands felt nice against her scalp. His question caught her off guard, rendering her speechless for a moment. Whoever taught him this trick, taught him well. She just figured he'd braid her hair quickly and be done with it. But he actually cared enough to ask her about how she wanted it done. "Just a little left in the front....thank you.." She figured the hair would hang loose like that anyway, if she had braided it herself.

As he worked, Fae allowed her mind to wander. She thought back to the times her mother had braided her hair like this. Then the times she would braid her sisters hair, or even tried to braid her fathers hair when the girls caught him asleep. That had been a funny time, a happy time...before her mother passed. She could still remember her mother laughing, and her father trying to scold his adorable children who didn't know why boys wouldn't braid their hair. Her eyes slipped closed as she allowed him to work. Mmm, this was like the younger times of her life, when she didn't have a care in the world. The time went too quickly for her, and he was soon finished. She took a hand to pull around the thick braid and smile brightly. "I can see that you've had plenty of practice doing this. It's neater than when I do my own hair." She pushed the braid behind her, and turned around to face him. She didn't quite like the mi'lady bit, but it was a cute touch. "I may have to order you into my chambers to braid my hair again." She spoke with a mischievous glint in her eyes. Arandur would likely laugh at the notion of Kris braiding any woman's hair. And the door keeper would most likely not think twice if that were the reason the guard was in Fae's room. Sitting back slightly, she reached for her diadem, and held it above her head. "Once I put this on, I'm your princess again. Is there anything more you wish to say to your lover before she leaves for a while?"
 
Kris chuckled when she turned, feeling a little bashful from her praise. "Good heavens, I didn't know I was that good." A part of his mind wondered if she'd been serious about calling him up to her room. Would people buy that excuse? Faelwen knew the others in the castle much better than he did. Oh well, for now it was a silly suggestion, and if it ever turned out not to be silly, he'd learn it at the time.

She hesitated before donning her snooty princess character once more. He dropped his gaze in thought. Was there anything he desperately needed to tell her? No, but there was a chance that she wouldn't be able to break that character for him for a very long time. He wanted this last moment to count for something. "Yes," he told her, reaching to cup her cheek in one hand. He kissed her softly on this cheek, and when he pulled away, he met her gaze and showed her a loving smile. "See you soon." He meant that. He had every intention of remaining optimistic about their chances to be together in the upcoming weeks. Even if he had to power in and out of her warded room at night just to fit in a goodnight kiss, he would do it.
 
Faelwen let out a small sigh as Kris leaned forward to peck her cheek. She couldn't describe the sheer joy she felt at his farewell...no...his promise to see her again. They could do this, they had to. Even if it took years to accomplish it, Fae was sure she'd do so in a heartbeat. "I'll count every minute we're apart..." Sure it was kinda corny, but she truly felt that way. After returning his smile, she lowered the silver tiara onto her head, and closed her eyes. Now they had to return to being two different ranks.
With a slow breath she opened them, and allowed her expression to become stagnant. This was it, she had to slip back into her old self. First she stood and turned to face her mother's tree. After a moment, she addressed Kris. "Well, how much time do we have before this 'prince' arrives. I honestly don't know of a finer way to waist time than have me meet with men I have no interest in whatsoever."
 
Kris allowed himself to laugh lightly one last time at her cheesy line. Sure it was a bit silly, but so was it cute, stirring up a flutter inside him nonetheless. But then she took a deep breath, doing her best to change character. He too closed his eyes and tried to settle his mind back into an apathetic mood. As the eldest princess' personal guard, he only cared about her in a minimal, professional sense. That was all he could show. Faelwen spoke up after a minute, and her voice had returned to the grumpy tone he'd first heard from her a few days ago. Yeah, that was the princess. At least his sorrow at seeing such a bitter character reemerge was well-buried by now by his own role, but he still felt a small pang of that pain somewhere very deep in his heart.

"Unfortunately, meeting with these men is one of your duties as the unwed heir to the throne, whether or not you have any interest in them whatsoever," he retorted after he pushed himself to his feet. He hooked his thumbs on his belt and eyed her impatiently. "Arandur told me the prince plans to get here in time for dinner with the royal family. Of course, I can't say if he'll be able to hold himself to that. I think his name was..." He paused and scowled, unable to remember the exact name Arandur had mentioned in passing, and snapped his fingers idly a few times as he tried to jog his memory. "Mande. Manle. Something like that."
 
Faelwen sighed dramatically, and walked over to pick up her basket. After taking out her candle and plants, she placed the basket inside the hollow knot in the tree. "Of course he'd have to join us for dinner...one other annoying trait all these princes have." She took up the items she had purchased, and with a quick goodbye to her mother, she began walking out of the clearing. Her brow knitted in thought as he tried to think of the correct name. It didn't take her long to figure it out. "Manwe...." She groaned loudly as they continued toward the road. "Why did he have to come first? He's such a flirt."
Yes, the few times they had met had been at parties. She could admit he was nice, charming, and handsome; but it had also been clear that his heard never settled on one woman. If he brought someone with him as a partner, they'd get left for another woman who caught his eye. She wouldn't put it past him to simply be seeking her hand because she had refused him before. So troublesome. "Well. Did Arandur tell you if we would be having a formal dinner then?" It was quite possible they would. And if that were the case, servants would be made to wait outside the room. Boy, this day just got that much more fun.
 
Kris fell into step beside Faelwen as they left the sanctuary. A flirt, huh? He could already imagine himself tailing Faelwen and this prince, watching and silently judging the other man's seduction skills against his own. He returned his focus to Faelwen when she spoke again, and once he processed her words, his expression shifted to incredulity. "A formal dinner as opposed to what? Here I was under the impression that all meals you royals ever have are 'formal' by our commoners' standards. If there's some distinction I don't know, please enlighten me. Do you use more forks?" He meant it as a jab. If he'd heard correctly during his travels, high nobility indulged in meals with multiple courses, rather than having the sense to put everything on one plate, and each waste of a plate also came with a waste of a fork of a specific size and use. He couldn't stop his face from twisting slightly in distaste at the thought. Try as he might to appear a refined individual who carried himself with at least merchant-level propriety, as evidenced by the way he made sure to pull the vines aside for Fae on their way out, there were some things about the upper classes he simply didn't understand nor had any interest in indulging.
 
Faelwen nodded her head in thanks as the leaves were pulled back. Thankfully they didn't have to bicker all the way back. She guided them by a different path to the road, joining it half way between the castle and town. His comment surprised her in a way. So he did want to argue...well, she'd comply then. "No. We don't use more forks." She stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "A formal dinner simply means we'll be using the closed dining room and have a few nobles over as well. I suppose as a commoner, you wouldn't have thought of that though."

She looked up at the approaching gates, hoping that she would arrive before Manwe. "A formal dinner would also mean dressing up...." and that would entail a corset. Hmm, maybe...maybe she would be able to talk her maids into letting Kris tie the evil contraption up. It was an uncomfortable piece of clothing, but she did like the effect it had on her figure.
 
Something inside Kris twitched in offense before he could help it at the suggestion that he, as a "commoner," hadn't thought of something. He tried not to take it too personally. Fortunately, her next comment gave him some fuel to help relax. "Ah, I see," he said with a smirk, "there's a running theme here. I already consider you 'dressed up' when you wear your everyday clothing, just as I consider your meals formal even if you don't go into some arbitrary room and close the door. Silly commoner-me, having a lower conception of daily standards." There was a laugh in his voice. No reason to take this too seriously. It was only natural that he and the princess would still be hitting disagreements on ideological differences, and this was certainly an improvement over that nasty mood they'd fallen into yesterday morning. Despite the fact that they'd been playing characters, somehow she'd gotten under his skin badly enough that he'd challenged her to a poorly mismatched foot race. Heavens, he'd even sworn rather strongly at her. He was lucky the king hadn't caught wind of that.

Come to think of it, did Faelwen mind cursing? He could successfully keep oaths under wraps when the occasion called for gentlemanly behavior, but he'd been breezier with his language than usual when around her these past few days. Hopefully she wasn't offended. Oh, what are you worrying about? She's been nothing but amused every time you've done anything low. She adores your accent and finds snoring attractive. Seriously, calm down. It would be a struggle to accept that he was allowed to unlearn his habits around her, but he'd already taken the first steps. He did have to admit it: Faelwen made him very comfortable with her presence. Adapting to her hadn't been too hard. At least not yet.
 
Faelwen looked back at Kris as he laughed off her comment. Hmmm, so had she been wrong in thinking this would turn into an argument. At least he hadn't taken that blow seriously then. Perhaps she would also let off some of the strain. "Yes....you common folk are fortunate. Your men are able to work hard and then rest at the end of the day, and your women don't know what a corset is like. I'm half inclined to say your rank is blessed that they don't know of our so called formalities. It is simply a large web of lies to impress the other kingdoms and be sure we come off as rich and strong." She sighed, finally reaching the gates. It looked as if a carriage hadn't been there yet, however, there were several guards rushing about. Maybe someone was....The sound of fast approaching hoof beats and wooden wheels signaled an oncoming carriage. The driver of said carriage whipped and hollered at the horses to go faster, he noticed the pair on the road too late. "HO THERE! LOOK OUT!" Faelwen turned to look back at the person who shouted, only to see she was in the path of a racing carriage.
 
Kris hadn't expected Faelwen to take the conversation in that direction. She sounded so bitter about things he wouldn't have thought of. Were formalities really that stressful? He struggled for a moment not to break character. He wanted to comfort her with a touch, but that was out of the question now that they were in sight of the castle gates. After a second's thought, though, he came up with a sufficiently distant reply. "Well, you're not missing much. Corsets or not, you're guaranteed a fine meal and bed every night, no matter how much of your day you—"

Hoofbeats and a shout close by startled him from finishing the thought. He spun in place quickly, only to see a carriage barreling right towards them. Right towards Fae. And at that moment, something inside Kris suddenly fired, some protective instinct he hadn't known he possessed. It all happened in the rush of a split second. He flung himself at her, arms outstretched. He'd meant to push her out of the way, but only after the two of them had collided and stumbled in an awkward half-turn to the side of the street did he realize he'd flung his arms protectively around her instead. The carriage came too close for comfort, as Kris felt a tug from his cloak as the carriage's front wheel pinned it to the ground for a moment, but then the fabric snapped free, and a second later, the carriage had passed them by. They were safe. His heart was pounding in his chest, but they were safe. He heaved a shaky sigh of relief as he released her. "Beg pardon, Your Highness," he muttered. "Didn't mean to be rough." He shook himself out for a second before suddenly turning towards the carriage, his gaze now angry. It was clear that he wanted to give the driver a piece of his mind, if not the driver's master as well. "I see he was serious about making it before dinner," he growled before raising his voice. "Oy! Y'nearly ran over a really important person here!"
 
Fae had frozen on the spot, something inside her screamed to move, but her body wouldn't obey. Suddenly, she was forced backward as a pair of familiar arms pulled her aside. She finally found the will to breathe, and took in several gulps of air in an attempt to still her racing heart. "I-it's all right. I'm unharmed, so you've done your part." It was hard to speak calmly. Was Manwe really in such a rush that he would tell his driver to nearly run over any pedestrians? A few long breaths were taken to calm herself the rest of the way. Her feet again began to carry her to the palace doors. With luck, perhaps she'd get a few words in to scold the prince for reckless behavior.

The driver just laughed at Kris's exclamation. "Bu' I di'n't did I?" He got down from his post and walked around to the door of the carriage. He quickly opened it and put down the stairs, still chuckling from how upset he had made one of the guards. With a low bow, the man muttered a small, "Your Highness." Out of the carriage stepped a rather commanding figure. He stood taller than most elves, a full head taller than the princess. He was very built, looking like he made training a large portion of his day. He wore simple clothing, black leather trousers with brown boots that folded over at the top. A rapier was belted to his waist, likely just for show. His shirt was a crisp white, it hung loose over his chest and arms, with the tie at the collar undone to expose beautifully tanned and smooth skin. Not a shadow of facial hair could be seen on his face. Dirty blonde hair hung straight down to be cut off sharply at his jawline. His cool eyes were the color of the sapphires embedded in the handle of his rapier. As his gaze wandered, he soon found the petite princess walking straight for them. The corner of his eyes crinkled as he displayed perfectly white teeth with a dashing smile. His long strides carried him closer as he held his arms out to embrace the eldest princess.

Fae stopped her walk, and made sure to sidestep his hug. The two of them weren't close enough to be doing such things so openly, so why he bothered to try was beyond her. Her grey eyes stared blankly at him, making the Prince fold his arms across his broad chest and give a pitiful look that would melt most women's hearts on the spot. "Why, Faelwen, dear....you won't even great me with a proper hug? I'm hurt..."
Fae scoffed lightly, not wishing to anger him, but still get her anger across. "I will not hug a man that nearly ran me over in his haste. Really, you have nearly an hour before we would dine, why were you rushing so?"
"I simply desired to see your beautiful face as soon as I may. Pray tell, what were you doing outside the castle walls? Last I heard, you had been told to remain in the palace." He gave a small side glance to Kris and raised a mocking eyebrow. "And do tell, what this half elf is doing in your glorious company? Surely with that stature he was not allowed to be a castle guard, much less follow around someone as important as yourself. Oh, how the standards have lowered." At the word lowered, he made a motion with his hands to imply Kris's height.
 
Kris strode beside Faelwen as they approached the offending carriage. He soon decided that the hasty driver wasn't worth his time. It was the man who stepped out from within the carriage that ensnared his attention. So this was the esteemed Prince Manwe. Good heavens, the man might as well have had a carefully aimed beam of sparkling sunlight pointed directly at him. Tall stature, flawless face, perfect hair, casually loose shirt over a toned upper body, a pair of legs that could rock leather pants...what else could a woman wish for in a man's appearance? Kris liked to think he at least had a face and torso to compete, but he knew he was lacking overall, particularly in the height department, and the jealousy stung hard. He nearly stepped back in shock when Manwe flashed what may have well been the most charming smile he'd ever seen and held his arms out to receive a hug from Faelwen. He wouldn't have called himself an expert on noble affairs, but he seriously doubted this was a standard greeting. Just how close were the two of them? Selfish as it was, the thought that Faelwen was on hugging terms with another man hurt him. However, he was relieved to see that Faelwen shared no such affection for this prince. Hmm, and the way said price reacted...his facial expressions were clearly practiced and perfected to get a woman to feel at ease. Kris knew how to recognize a man who shared that talent. This guy's seriously cramping my style...

He stood next to Faelwen by that point. The conversation had turned to Faelwen's apparent freedom, and from there, it was only natural for Manwe to notice him next, the person who made it possible for Faelwen to be outside safely in the first place. No sooner had Manwe opened his mouth again than words Kris didn't particularly like hearing spilled out. Being called a half elf yesterday morning by Faelwen had touched a nerve as it was, and even then he'd known she didn't mean it seriously. This guy meant it seriously, and he didn't stop there. Kris' brow twitched as the prince continued. He was used to people initially dismissing him because of his height, but it had been a very long time since anyone had been quite this rude about it. He might as well have been scum on Manwe's boots. Not even Ruscion had been so blunt.

He was aware by now that he was making a very unhappy face. That wouldn't do. As poor of a first impression as Manwe had just made, he was not only the same rank as Faelwen herself, if not even a bit higher because he was a male, but an esteemed guest as well. He didn't have much choice but to treat this visitor with the utmost respect. He breathed deeply and willed his scowl away. He could do this. Just pretend he's a client, Kris. A really important client.

Once he forced a smile onto his face, he felt a little better. Smiles felt good. From here he could fall back into habit and work his charms. He shook his head and chuckled as if amused by Manwe's observations. "Good sir, if you find me lacking in any way, you may want to take it up with His Highness. I demonstrated my skills to him earlier this week and was personally assigned to Princess Faelwen's care. It is entirely thanks to me that she can now leave the castle safely. Ah, but where are my manners?" He swept into his trademark low bow, bringing his cloak with him in a flourish. "You may call me Kris, milord. It is a great pleasure to meet you on this fine afternoon. I trust that we will get along." He kept his smile on his face as he straightened up, but secretly he was thinking the exact opposite of what he said. He didn't like this prince one bit.
 
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Faelwen found herself looking at Kris out of the corner of her eye when Manwe began his questions. Those comments would certainly not be welcome. She wasn't even sure how to answer in a way that would be complementary and still distant. She sighed slightly as Kris answered for himself. Ok, she could do this. "He's right. As lacking in height as he may, his skills are superior to the other castle guards."
Manwe seemed thoroughly impressed that the guard answered him so well. The lack of an accent was intriguing as well. Surely this wasn't some joke for a noble's son to be playing at. That could prove to be a challenge. He didn't betray a single thought by his expression and simply smiled through it all. "I see, then you must forgive me for jumping to conclusions about you." He offered a hand to the princess. "May I escort you inside, Princess? I shall walk you to your room if you wish. I assume you will be changing?"
Faelwen found no reason she could give that would excuse her from the prince's presence. She gently placed her hand in his much larger one, only to have him drape her hand across his arm. With a forced smile, she nodded. "Yes, I will be changing. I was rather hoping that you would arrive later so you needn't see me while in my casual garb. Am I right in assuming that you arrived early so you may change here?"
Manwe laughed lightly as he pulled Faelwen along. "You were always so sharp at deducing one's intentions. Now tell me, what color will you choose to wear tonight? I shall try my best to match."
Fae appeared to be having a grand time with Manwe escorting her. Her mind was focused on the man walking behind them though. Ah, she hoped Kris would notice how face her smiles were. She simply wished to be left alone for a few minutes. Thankfully the walk to her room wasn't a long one. "I plan to wear...let me think....it shall be a light blue." That just happened to be the only dress she could think of at the moment. When was the last time she had looked for a formal gown?
"Blue!" Manwe looked elated. "My dear Faelwen, I'm flattered you remembered what my favorite color was. Very well, dearest beauty, we shall go as a pair, and rival the blue of the sky." He made a large motion toward the outside, indicating the blue sky. With that he firmly pressed his lips against the back of Faelwen's hand, and turned to walk down to a guest room he would occupy.
 
Manwe replied without missing a beat. The guy's good, Kris thought. He kept quiet as the prince and princess settled into step beside each other as they walked into the palace, and he kept pace behind them at what he hoped was a respectful distance. His expression was neutral now; that was the best he cared to manage. How he really felt was nauseous. Faelwen and a strange man were getting cozy, right there in front of him, and Kris was forced to endure it without so much as a peep. Sure, he'd known this was coming, but seeing it with his own eyes was rather different. Envy simmered in the pit of his stomach, and he feared he'd be unable to keep from feeling that rather often during these next several weeks...or months...or however long this ordeal might last. At least it was a small comfort that Faelwen's smiles looked uncomfortable. That reassured him that Faelwen was uninterested.

At least for now...

His thoughts darkened. Manwe wasn't all that different from Kris himself. Faelwen being in the presence of this other man instead of around Kris all the time might cause the feelings of their own hasty romance to dwindle away, unnourished and eventually forgotten. What if Manwe really did win Faelwen over in that void? She might realize that she was more attracted to a commanding figure. And that wasn't even to mention the obvious factor that if she chose an endorsed suitor, everything would go smoothly, everyone would be happy. Everyone but Kris, but since when had Kris ever been important?

"My dear Faelwen, I'm flattered you remembered what my favorite color was."

...On second thought, maybe Faelwen would see Manwe for the self-centered prick he was.

Kris slumped against the wall with his arms crossed as he watched Manwe walk off. They didn't have the privacy here that they might have been able to afford in the tower, so Kris wouldn't be able to enter Faelwen's room without raising suspicion. As soon as the prince was out of earshot, however, he frowned and muttered, "I despise him already."
 
As soon as his back was turned, Faelwen hastily rubbed the back of her hand across her skirt. She scowled at the retreating man for happening to like the only color dress she could recall having. Hmm, would it be so odd if she had a sudden change of mind? Kris's words echoed her own thoughts. "Just wait until dinner. It gets worse." She could already imagined what the prince would be doing as he was not only in the company of all her sisters, but also the maids. Of course, since it would be formal, her father would be too distracted with guests to notice. She sighed already tired. "I'll be out as soon as I can...can you find one of the maids and ask her to help me dress?" She laid a hand on the knob to her door and gently pushed it open. With any luck she'd be able to find an excuse not to wear the dress she had thought of.
 
Only a moment after Manwe turned away did Faelwen let her disdain shine through in full force. That was a relief. It sounded like Faelwen felt nothing for the prince whatsoever, and Kris doubted that would be changing anytime soon. Phew. Speaking of changing, Kris blinked in confusion at Fae's request. "Find a maid?" he echoed. "By what, walking aimlessly down the hall until I see one?" He imagined it would make more sense to go to some kind of maids' headquarters, if such a thing existed. Well, he supposed it had as much reason to exist as the guards' wing did. He did know that he'd be able to find female castle servants in the kitchen, but no doubt they were in the kitchen for a reason and would be busy preparing for dinner. "I mean, if you want me to wander down the hall until I see someone in a dress with a feather duster, sure, but if there's a better place to look than that..."

Of course, the fastest way to tackle the problem at hand would be for Kris himself to help Faelwen get dressed. But as tempting as the option was, he in no way wanted word of that getting around the castle. He kept quiet.
 
Faelwen looked around, seeing if anyone were around. Honestly she wouldn't have minded having Kris help her. Maybe if she put it just right, anyone in earshot would only pity him further. Not seeing anyone right away, she raised a finger to her lips and winked. "What use are you if you can't find one yourself? We have them all over the place." She sighed, appearing unhappy. "Well, I have to get changed, and if you can't find something useful to do, I will give you a task. You can dress me....of course, I can't just have guards peeping at me though. I will require that you do so blindfolded." She looked as bored as she possibly could, as she unfastened the sash at her waist. She approached Kris, raising her sash until it covered his eyes. She then proceeded to tie it in place, making sure she wasn't too careful about getting his hair caught in the knot. "There. You'll do for now. All the maids are probably busy with prepping the castle. Let's go." She took his wrist, and dragged him behind her and into the room. There, with that performance no one would probably question her.

She shut and carefully locked her door, trying to make the lock as silent as possible. She giggled a little bit as she turned to the blind Kris. "Well, now I'm almost tempted to really make you dress me while you're blindfolded. But I suppose it would be faster if you had the use of your eyes." She made sure the shades were drawn, and the door to her greenhouse locked as well. Only then did she start to untie the sash.
 
After Kris expressed his bewilderment, Faelwen looked around the hall, apparently needing to confirm for herself that no one was around. But when she looked back at him, she had an impish look on her face. What on earth was she planning? The shushing signal she gave him clearly meant that she had an idea and didn't want him saying anything to mess it up. And her request was, of all things, that he dress her blindfolded. He struggled not to laugh. Fortunately he succeeded, showing her an embarrassed scowl instead as she came at him with her sash. "Oh, don't tell me you're seriously...ow!" He didn't fight, as he had to play along with her plan, but in her haste she'd just yanked a lock of his hair into the knot at the back of his head, and it hurt. He belatedly realized that she'd purposefully been that rough, because her character didn't care much about him. He gritted his teeth. He'd deal with it. She grabbed one of his hands in hers, and as she tugged him inside, he huffed, "I don't believe this..." before she closed the door behind them.

So apparently he was dressing her after all. Heh, just like Faelwen to come up with a ploy like that. Now they had a story to tell if they needed to, and with any luck it would amuse people enough that they wouldn't think about it too hard. "I mean, you still can make me try to do it blindfolded," he commented as he stood still in the middle of the room, waiting for her to return and grant him his vision back. "We wouldn't be done too early, and it might be kind of fun." It actually did sound entertaining in more ways than one, having him fumble his hands across her body. "But then again, if you do want me to help you dress as fast as possible, we might be able to...dawdle." He grinned. Just as they could try to "accurately" account for the length of time of a blindfolded changing session, they could just as easily merely use that as an excuse to linger here for a few extra minutes.
 
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