"I have no interesting ancestors. That must be nice to have some," says Bella. "Cimorene sounds like she must've been neat. Did you already scope out the neighboring princes yourselves?"

"Yeah. And actually I'm pretty sure Mom wouldn't want me to marry any of 'em."

"Why not? Are they bad at politics?"

"They are bad at most things that don't involve hitting one another with swords. And I am better than most of them at that."

"I don't really understand why that's supposed to be a princely skill. Strategy maybe, if you expect to get into wars, but actual swordfighting? Why would anybody in line for the throne be on the front lines as a matter of course?"

"Rescuing princesses?" suggests Tony.

"If rescuing princesses is the principal use for a prince's ability to swordfight, then it should be a general royal offspring skill," says Bella, waving in Sherlock's direction, "which obviously it can be, just isn't most often. I suppose this is not the case if the rescuing is just courtship theater, but it's awfully stabby courtship theater and should probably be replaced with the board game version if that's the case."

"I fully agree."

"Good. You should. Because I am right," says Bella. "How come you learned to swordfight, anyway? Planning on rescuing somebody?"

"It's fun."

"Maybe I'd see the appeal if I didn't need enchanted moccasins just to walk five steps without falling on my face," laughs Bella.

"Clearly someone ought to build you some enchanted armour."

"I don't think I can witchsleeve a gauntlet," says Bella. "Besides, remember how I'm woefully forced to specialize?"

...Tony looks intrigued by this notion.

"You really, really want to make armor for a clumsy magician?" inquires Bella archly.

"Not necessarily armor," she says. "But something you could wear to make you less clumsy? Yes!"

"On top of the moccasins? Because you'll notice I haven't fallen so far. Although admittedly they only do walking. I still knock things off counters and tables more than I like, and running's basically out of the question."

"Yeah, that's why armour! Because moccasins are for feet," she says wisely.

"I have making a pair of matching gloves on my to-do list, but admittedly it's been there for more than a year," says Bella.

"But then there's all the stuff in between, too," she says. "And armour's good for that. Well, I guess somebody who wasn't me could probably convince a dress to be good for dancing in, or something."

"A dress would be the thing for that - shoes are traditional, and they do extend past my feet or I'd be tripping anyway on account of uncooperative knees or center of gravity, but traditions don't always line up with what's easiest or most sensible to do."

"I," says Tony, "could make anti-clumsy armour that you could do just about anything in."

"Including have big baggy witch sleeves which can't have anything between them and my arms?" asks Bella.

"Yes," she says firmly.

"Cool!"