It is no inconvenience but a great honor you have been accorded.

I - I'm very honored, she backpedals, of course.

You should retrieve your things from the guest rooms, Isabella.

Nod nod scurry scurry.

Fëanáro's there. He is reading her book, or at least holding it and staring very intently.

"Um. Are you going to borrow that until I come back next week?"

His hands tighten around the book. Where are you going?

"Apparently I'm supposed to just sort of sleep outside in a place where a house could go and compliment architects and help people with their houses until a house appears in my place where a house could go. Is what I was told. I don't really understand anything that's going on."

I want to learn to read. I can't do it quite yet because I don't know enough words.

"Your father says I'm to come back once a week and teach you," she says.

How about you just stay here and teach me now?

"He didn't say I could do that. He said I should come collect my things."

"I'm sorry." She puts the book in her backpack and zips it up.

Can you leave it? So I can keep trying?

"...can you ask your father if that's all right first?"

He stands up, a little shakily, and scoots out of the room.

And Bella proceeds king-location-ward with her backpack on her back.

I'd be happy to. Bella swings her backpack around and unzips and pulls out the intro textbook and offers it to Fëanáro.

Thank you. She bows awkwardly and edges towards the exit.

Fëanáro watches her go with wide eyes, clinging the book protectively.

Bella waves at him a little, tentatively, but then all but flees the palace and tries to find the shirt-marked House Location so she can sit there and scream internally for, oh, six hours.

Luckily, the simple structure of the city makes it relatively easy to find the shirt marker.