“ of that , i have no doubt . “ there’s a faint hint of excitement on her lips , at the sound of her words . she knows that tatiana isn’t trying to exaggerate , she lives for the idea of grandeur . how can one turn down such pretty , sparkling things . it had been her lessons in life to aim for them , strive higher than anyone else . father and mother instilled the idea of the more extravagant the better and she soaked it in . though it didn’t necessarily always match what she truly believed , she’d fallen in love with the idea and sight of everything pretty .
hands fall over heart as tatiana talks . she can almost imagine the place as the girl talks , and she’s heard of it before . a constant desire to go , just to see , has always sat with the girl . “ swans and ponies !? “ she’s near laughter as they walk . “ oh , that sounds lovely , almost as if it was pulled directly from a dream . i do hope that one day i can visit , you should remember me when you do return home finally . i would love to come visit for a time . “ she’s all smiles now , just picturing what the palaces could possibly look like . “ i’m sure i would be completely in love with the place . the idea your gardens is almost beyond exciting . i do love a good walk , it’s once of the things i miss most about scotland . how pretty the world around us always seemed to be , despite our sometimes horrid weather . “
a grin on her face , but she enjoys the talk . despite the jab at her heart at the idea of never going home again , she does miss seeing it . even her dreams are full of what it used to look like when she stepped outside her door . “ it was the field at home that always got me . we used to run and play on it always . our house had enough land so it felt we were always far from everything , i adored it . “
there is something beautiful in hearing kenna speak of scotland. she glows with the memories, and all of that warmth leaks into her words. nothing could make it more obvious how much kenna loves her homeland, how it is a part of her. that’s something tatiana can understand. ❝ oh, that sounds delightful! like your own kingdom, your own little world. ❞
it is strange, talking so candidly with someone else --- someone her age --- about their respective homes. in russian court, gossip is the order of the day ;; tatiana has heard enough, though her mother has been so careful to keep all her daughters away from those detrimental influences. indeed, the royal family stays away from court entirely... and as a result, tatiana has found very few opportunities to make friends her own age, on equal footing as herself. all the young woman of court know the grand duchesses as the lovely images which appear in their portraits... nothing more.
french court, on the other hand, is filled with young ladies... and tatiana is not as held back as she might be at home. despite the unpleasant circumstances surrounding her arrival, she’s delighted by the thought of making a friend. ❝ you’ve been away from home for a while, haven’t you? since queen mary arrived in france? that cannot be easy. ❞
