⟪ she is on her feet, testing the fit – uncomfortable, but she reckons they will do. it is the first time in her life that she wears things that were not made to measure, but these seem close enough in size not to hurt her too badly.

ridiculous, of course. she is a princess, she has conquered ba sing se, she has felled the earth kingdom. she can handle shoes that do not quite fit. ⟫

The man who is to blame for all of this claimed that some of my things might yet be in an egg there. That seems unlikely.

⟪ she walks a step or two behind him, not trusting him enough to walk ahead. her gait is distinctly military, though she is light on her feet. and she has taken great care to banish any sense of a false hope from her voice. ⟫