Chapter Text
There was really one answer for Rida to give for Veronica’s suggestion and that was this one:
“No.”
Veronica only smiled brightly and took Rida by the arm, “Come, there is nothing to be embarrassed about.”
“Princess, this is highly inappropriate.” Was all the argument Rida presented as she allows the princess to drag her back to her room.
“Nonsense. What is inappropriate about this?”
She closes the door behind her.
“Now, take off your clothes.” Veronica is already beginning to attempt removing her own dress before she remembers to add, “Please.”
She takes her sword off her belt and it is only Rida’s strict self-discipline that stops her from sighing (though on the inside she was both mortified and resigned). She steps behind Veronica whose dress is actually very difficult to remove without help since, as befitting a princess, it is held together by am intricate series of buttons the size of seeds and composed, as was the fashion, of many different components.
Even Rida had to lean in to work at the buttons, close enough that her warm breath ghosted over the skin of Veronica’s back.
All the while, Veronica only kept talking. “This will be so much fun, Rida!”
Later, when they were finished, Veronica was standing in front of her mirror as she turned to look at herself this way and that. Rida’s sword swung a bit and she marvelled at the weight of it.
“It is heavier than I imagined.” She turns fully and to face Rida who looked distinctly uncomfortable in the princess’s clothes, “Perhaps it is because the fabric is sturdier?” She swings her arms a little, to test how it feels to move in Rida’s clothing and armour. “It is a little tight around the chest.” She notes absent-mindedly.
Rida has her arm crossed just under her chest for a reason related to what the princess just spoke of.
“We should change back.”
Veronica smiled and nodded. She walked over to help Rida out of the dress, and Rida took a step back warily.
“What are you doing?”
“I am helping you out of the dress.” Veronica answers as if it were the most natural thing. Without servants present, it was the only option unless Rida wanted to walk out of here dressed like the princess.
Veronica’s fingers were a great deal more clumsy at such things, having never helped anyone else undress, but she hums to herself cheerfully and tunelessly as she works at it at Rida’s back.
Rida, on the other hand, is nursing a headache, which only gets worse when Veronica leans in, brushing her nose against the back of Rida’s neck.
Rida jumps, but her half turn is prevented by the fact that Veronica still has her hands on the fabric of her dress.
“Princess?!”
Veronica only smiles. “You smell nice, Rida.” And it is said so innocently that Rida could only stare.
Then her mouth quirks up in an embarrassed, but answering smile.
~ + ~
When they remember this incident, Minami and Haruko just looked away from each other and wished the ground would open up and swallow them both.