Important questions - to an eleven year old.

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Shui had woke up that day not feeling well. Her stomach was twisting and she felt tired. She never felt this way. At least, not since the day before.

Sliding from her bed, she dressed herself slowly for the day and then stopped. Finding different clothes, she pulled them on instead and left the room, leaving all things behind.

She would be skipping all practices today, and the young girl dearly hoped neither Emerald nor Jonathan would be angered by this. Trotting off, she exited the palace, greeted the guards and slipped through the gates.

It took her some time of weaving through the crowded streets to get to the temple, but she was there now. Entering, she stopped to pay respects before looking around, hoping to find some one to talk to.

[Kender Bard]

The priests were either going about their business or simply milling around and enjoying some idle time. Nalani was one of these priestesses, passing by Shui slowly with a far-off look on her face, in some contemplation.

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Shui bit her lip a bit and worried it with her teeth and tongue before approaching the priestess. "U-um!" she called out a little hesitantly, closing a hand on the robes for a moment. Perhaps this one might be able to help her.

It was worth a shot.

[Kender Bard]

Nalani paused, blinking out of her daydream and glanced at Shui with a smile. "Hello!" she greeted enthusiastically. "Welcome to the house of Love. Can I help you?"

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"Ah, yes, actually," she seemed to be for a moment lost for words, her expression becoming very child-like. "I...I have some questions. I was kind of hoping that you might be able to help me answer them."

Shui then paused and looked around, voice lowering. "Can you?"

[Kender Bard]

Nalani nodded and her smile grew. "Of course, I will try my best," she answers and walks, beckoning that Shui follow. There were rooms set aside for these sorts of thing and she was heading to one. "What sort of questions?"

[Deleted]

Shui trotted after her, and, once inside the room, she slid herself onto a seat and sighed. Looking this way and that, she tried to find words to put together that would make sense. At least enough to get her point across.

"Um," she started, running a hand through her hair. "I'm a little confused about something. If...if a person felt very strongly about someone, but then those feelings shifted to another, is....is that a bad thing?" she finally asked.

[Kender Bard]

Nalani gave Shui a vaguely bemused look as she took a seat. "I'm afraid it'd be better if you could be more specific," she admitted. "Don't worry; everything you say will be just between you and me. That's part of a sacred oath we priests take. So why don't you tell me what prompted you to come here?"

[Deleted]

"Well," she started off slowly, curling her legs up under her in a very child like fashion. This should be so hard to say, and yet...yet it was. "When I first came here with my dad I witnessed him getting killed. Master Twilight...I mean, Prince Twilight took me in to the castle where I've been training."

She paused, eyes flicking to the priestess and then back down. "I've been there for over a year now, learning the sword from Master Jonathan and Princess Emerald. I...I called Jonathan my dad the other day...." she trailed off again, but it was obvious this was the cause of her discomfort.

[Kender Bard]

"Hmm," Nalani murmured. "Well that's not terribly unusual Shui. No doubt you miss your real father; having to see him killed is a terrible and traumatic thing, even if you handle it well. Perhaps a part of you wants Jonathan to fill the gap left behind by your father. And that's no bad thing, but be careful that your feelings are true and not just something you want to be true."

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"True? Not fake?" she asked, though she didn't seem to need that really answered. Nibbling a little at her finger, she thought about that for a long time before sighing. "I'm not really sure. I loved my dad...and, Jonathan is so nice, so kind...."

She trailed off once more and sighed again. Today was just not good for her.

[Kender Bard]

"Well I don't mean to say that you're going to know right now," Nalani protested. "I mean this is a complicated issue and matters of the heart and Love are never quickly resolved; nor should they. Things need time to be considered carefully. I'm just saying that if you truly and honestly love Jonathan as a sort of second father, that's wonderful; just don't jump into something you'll regret because you were too hasty in listening to your heart."

[Deleted]

Thinking she understood, she nodded slowly, fingers twiddling on her knees. "I don't believe that it's just my heart saying this, I hope not. I feel a strange burning right here when I think about it," she put one hand over her heart.

"My dad, may the Forces watch over him, would probably laugh at my silliness."

[Kender Bard]

"Or maybe he'd be understanding," Nalani added. "Well, at least give yourself the night to sleep on it. Then after that, it's a matter of what to do; Jonathan may or may not return your feelings."

[Deleted]

Shui stared at the ceiling for a long while before finally lowering her gaze to lock on to Nalani's eyes. She was a startlingly serious girl for one so young and she slid from her little perch and she bowed to the priestess.

"Thank you; I can not say that I fully understand what it is you say, but I'll keep it in my heart and in my mind."

With that, she trotted off and out of the temple. Not wanting to yet return to the palace, she wandered the town. From the sun, as far as she could tell, it was nearing late evening. She'd been out almost an entire day and without much to eat. Slowly, she made her way back to the palace, greeted the guards, and went in search of Jonathan or Emerald, though she was kind of hoping the latter she would not run in to.

A lecture was...not something she wanted right now.