Ciara closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of the brush running through her hair.

"If you do not mind my asking, princess. I heard you let Neela borrow Sunrose to light their family bonfire, is that right?" Chanti, the maid holding the brush in question, asked.

Ciara smiled and nodded lightly. "It is. She told me yesterday that they had no one to light such a big fire, so of course Sunrose would be glad to help."

"Certainly. It was very kind of you, my lady." Chanti's gentle fingers split an especially mean-spirited knot. "It is such a shame, though. They have done this for many years in her family and usually her father or brother would light it, however her father's back has been aching horribly - he can barely stand! And her brother is currently on patrol near the borders and will not return until after winter has passed." The words welled out of her without restraint. "Oh, I feel so sorry for her, it must be tough."

Ciara smiled softly, though the maid couldn't see it.

"As do I. I could not imagine how it must be." Just the mere thought of seeing her father in such a state almost drew tears.

Just then, Mathilda, the Head maid, burst in, seeing their expressions.

"Now what have you been bothering the princess with, Chanti?" She crossed her arms in front of her. "You know better than to do that - how many times do I have to tell you?"

Chanti immediately bowed her head, letting the brush fall from Ciara's hair.

"You are right, Head maid, I should not have done that." She then turned to the princess. "Please forgive me for bothering you so, princess!" Her eyes didn't meet Ciara's for a moment.

Ciara couldn't help but giggle, having seen this situation quite a few times - Chanti was known for her loose tongue, after all.

"It is fine, there is nothing to forgive." Ciara looked to the older maid. "You know I do not mind things like this - I rather prefer it, actually." She had told them that long ago as well.

"So you say, princess." Mathilda only shook her head. "That said, I do believe you had an appointment waiting for you."

Ciara sprang up from her chair.

"Oh, yes! I do!"

They were bringing in a lot of materials for building a new stable - one that could keep the cold out better. She'd offered Kaisog could help them out, and they'd be starting soon.

"I have to go, please excuse me!" she said in the most polite way she possibly could, before rushing out of the door.

"You keep yourself busy these days, princess!"

She couldn't deny that claim; she'd been busy lately. Ever since that incident with the tree, really. Back then, helping Thomas out and afterwards removing it had opened the castle workers' eyes to all the possibilities. Since, she'd started helping a little here and there with the two of them. Suddenly though, it had exploded. There was something every day. Sometimes even outside the castle, as with Sunrose.

But she was happy for it. It only meant she was coming just a little closer to her dream of convincing everyone here of their greatness.

Of course, they weren't comfortable having the dragons flying around without her there to 'keep an eye' on them. She couldn't leave the castle, being on quarantine still, so Alex had often offered to go in her stead, having gotten a bit of a handle on them both at this point. Or, if nothing else, the people thought he did.

Still, things were really changing for the better, she could hardly stop smiling. It almost felt like home when things were like this.

Just as she turned the corner, she was met by a piercing set of eyes.

"Watch your step, girl," Victoria hissed.

Ciara took a step back, looking up at the woman with wide eyes.

"Oh, I am so sorry!"

Victoria huffed. "Do you enjoy your charity-work?" Her eyes narrowed at Ciara.

The princess looked up confusedly. "Charity-work?"

Victoria rolled her eyes. "Surely, even someone like you knows it is unladylike to mingle with the workers on such a personal level?" she condescendingly asked, rhetorical though the question was. "Not that it is any more ladylike to do the same with dragons."

Ciara, slightly at a loss for words, had to try a few times before words even formed in her mouth.

"Then what would you have me do?" If she could, she wanted to be more of a lady the way Victoria was.

Amusement lit up the woman's otherwise cold gaze as it levelled Ciara.

"You should be mingling with noble-ladies rather than peasants and beasts such as the ones you keep," she told her. "Oh, and you would know to keep your distance from people like Julian Charleston."

Ciara frowned, remembering the ball a little too vividly.

"Julian came to my rescue several times at the ball, I do not understand how he could be a bad person," she said. "Besides, none of those noble ladies like me at all," she quietly added, not too sure she even intended for anyone to hear.

Victoria huffed at that, her eyes glinting. "Obviously." She nonchalantly stepped past Ciara to go down the hall.

The young princess looked after the woman, who didn't even glance back once, even as she disappeared from sight.

If that was what it took to become a proper lady like Victoria, then Ciara wasn't confident she could ever pull it off. She simply didn't have it in her.