#fenixtj

"Then the real question is, do you want her delcared your heir, or for folks to assume it?"

"I would prefer to get to know her, Your Grace, but tentatively I would declare her my heir formally, with her agreement."

"Then, we will hold off on declaration for.. well, a month? So you and she can get to know each other?"

Jessica nods. "That is very generous over you, Your Grace, thank you."

"Least I can do. Now, forgive me, but.. ah, does she need more friends? Her satyr friend seems a good one but I don't have any files on her"

"How many friends does any childling need? I have no idea, Your Grace."

"How many friends did you have as a little girl?"

A shrug. "Not many, I guess? At her age? I prefered to play by myself."

"mm well, I suppose some will show." He says "When I was a childling I recall being on guard all the time. Ailil hold you know? " A nod "Where is the satyress from?"

"The midwest."

A nod "Hopefully her liege was kind so she thinks well of nobles"

"One can hope." Jessica seems to agree.

MEANWHILE....

Ariel and Eleanor are in Eleanor's room. Before it was a wonderful haven, now it's... it's not temporary at all. how does she FEEL about that?

Eleanor got out all of the new dolls, but she's only half-heartedly playing.

Ariel tries to entertain her "I'm Jafar, I have a twisty beard and stinky breath... estaaatic"

"Uh-huh."

Ariel says "Uhm.. which princess do you want to ..have defeat him?"

"I guess Jasmine?"

"Sure.. sure... " Ariel coaxes... "Jasmine can stop him from taking over the kingdom"

"I don't want to play this."

SHe holds the doll out to the satyr. "You can play?"

"Oh.." Ariel saysand takes it, then she puts aside "Can I help make you happy?"

"I don't know. I'm sorry."

"No, you feel how you feel.. never be sorry for that... trolls sometimes tell me 'cheer up' or 'brave face' ..and they mean well, but it doesn't help me"

"And yes I wish I could make you feel better, but I don't want you to LIE about your feelings, not to yourself and not to me." A pause "maybe hide it from bad guys. They're jerks and might take advantage"

She nods. "A Countess must never show that she's upset."

"I would never be a good countess." She admits "I'd be like ...next one who tells me stiff upper lip, gets exiled to a place more boring than Iowa!"

"I've never been to Iowa."

"Well, it's actually got some nice stuff... but it doesn't have an ocean"

"Neither does PA." Yes, she says the letters.

"Oh..well, that's one cool thing about us being here, even if other things are sad" She says

"I'd like to see mermaids." She agrees.

"Well, even if some of them are mean, we WILL" She says firmly

"Countess Jessica said I'm not allowed to leave the hold alone."

"Well, duh... you're not alone. I'm with you"

Ariel gives a nod

"True!"

"And you know magic. I saw you with the door.. it just like SWANG open"

"Oh! Yeah, that's sovereign."

"Oh" Her eyes widen nervous

"I can do that, and I can look at stuff that happened in the past."

"I was supposed to learn soothsay, but we had to leave..."

"Oh, soothsay I bet you can get lessons still. Maybe Dame Ash"

"Probably. Beaumayn are s'posedta be master of it."

"You ever remember stuff from before? I know I knew it in Arcadia. But I was also a grown-up in Arcadia."

"Sometimes I have dreams" she admits "Weird ones. Like being on top of a hill and singing as I fired a bow and arrow... I tried using a bow and arrow . I'm tooooo little"

"Oh, you need a bow and arrow YOUR size."

"But I bet those dreams are memories. Sometimes my dreams are memories of the past, and sometimes they're memories of the future, and it can be hard to tell which is which."

"Oh rigth.. because Beaumayn are seers." She says "My brother is dating a Beaumayn girl... I don't think the farm knows but I Do. he doesn't care she's a sidhe.. he loves her, an she loves him and it's VERY romantic."