you //still\\ have all of [me]~crystalfrost <3~

[~echo~]

(Oh, I'm sorry xD)

The next day, Anne managed to sneak away from the cook and headed up to the sanctuary of the ward. She looked around for him once she was there.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Elend stood by the railing, looking down at the now-empty ballroom. He didn't hear her approach, so he continued to gaze quietly down at the room below. His face was bathed in a faint light from the nearby stained-glass window. He looked... pensive. Calm.

[~echo~]

Anne approached quietly, careful not to disturb his thought.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Elend finally glanced up and smiled. "Glad you could make it," he said.

[~echo~]

Anne smiled at him. "It wasn't that hard. We got a few new servants and I don't have as much work anymore. How has your day been so far?"

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

"Boring," Elend answered quite honestly. He didn't feel like he had to lie or pretend around her.

[~echo~]

Anne grinned. "Is that a good or a bad thing in the life of a prince?"

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Elend raised his eyebrows. "Boredom is almost always a bad thing," he said.

[~echo~]

Anne smiled. "But downtime and rest, however, are quite lovely."

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

"Boredom is downtime you don't choose for yourself." Elend shrugged and looked back down at the empty ballroom. "I have too much downtime."

[~echo~]

Anne pursed her lips, deciding not to respond to that. "What, other than downtime of course, do you do all day?"

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Elend shrugged and was silent for awhile. "I like to ride," he said finally. "The countryside is beautiful."

[~echo~]

Anne peered at a window an realized she had never really been farther than the market. "I imagine it is," she commented.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

"You should come with me sometime," he said. He turned to her and smiled. "It would be nice."

[~echo~]

Anne looke surprised at that. "Well, I mean, if you insist..."

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Elend laughed. He didn't do that very often, and it felt good. "I insist."

[~echo~]

Anne sighed softly and leaned on the balcony, looking at the ballroom. "I always imagined myself going to a ball with somebody handsome, being the belle of the ball..."

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

"A wistful dream," Elend murmured. There was no point in pretending it could ever come true. "I think everyone has those."

[~echo~]

Anne nodded, a regular laugh playing about her mouth. "Oh, I know it won't come true. It's just nice to wonder sometimes."

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

"We could pretend," Elend said, a faint smile curving onto his lips. "I'm sure I can scrounge up an old ball gown for you somewhere. The ballroom will be empty for the rest of the day."