“Well alright, if you don’t trust me, that’s fine. It was just a suggestion.”

Alice was a bit deflated, which surely must have been visible on her face. She did her best to hide it, however. Melissa didn’t need to be empathizing with her silly feelings. It was just a decline to an offer which was doomed from the first place. The one-eyed girl was right, after all. It would be dangerously improper to have her take her bed. Yet the princess didn’t understand it. Why was it so wrong to be charitable? Why did people look upon her scornfully for seeing people’s suffering and trying to help?

“You could sleep with a blanket on the floor if you want, but it won’t be any more forgiving than the dungeon,” her voice was quiet, and neutral, though it shook very slightly with uncertainty from the hit her confidence had already taken. What a silly girl to be so affected by people! It wasn’t even people, really, but just this one person. She didn’t know why, but it was so.

Soon, they arrived at the chamber door, and Alice opened it without hesitation. She released Melissa’s hand and ignored the cold empty feeling to motion for the new guest to sit down. Retrieving a washcloth, she wet it in a pail of water that her servants has already put out for her to clean off her own face. However, she took the damp cloth and put it to Melissa’s skin tentatively.

“It might hurt in open wounds, but it’s just a bit cold.”

The princess began to pat it clean gently, smiling at the pale skin which was being revealed under caked-on layers of blood and muck.

“You already look so much better without that guck all over you,” Alice intoned quietly, running her thumb across the clean spot on the white-haired girl’s cheek in a soft caress. Realizing her out-of-place actions, the princess drew her hand back slowly (reluctantly?) and began to dab again wordlessly, though her heart rate was going so much faster with the new nerves.