{Aria}
Princess Aria sat in her study, the soft scratch of quill on parchment the only sound breaking the silence. Her brow furrowed as she jotted down her thoughts, trying to materialize her impressions of the enigma that was Melisa Blackflame.
[Those eyes,] Aria thought, her own grey ones narrowing. [Big, blood-red eyes. So warm, so trusting...] She sighed. [It doesn't add up.]
She tapped the quill against her chin, leaving a small ink spot she'd probably regret later.
To Aria, Melisa seemed about as suited for courtly intrigue as a puppy in a pit of vipers.
The poisoning of the king during the gala, her mother's murder in the dead of night - none of it fit with the image of the girl she'd spoken to. Melisa was so open, so... unshielded, it was almost painful to watch.
