ariella was delighted by the soft ringing of a bell over the door she had just pushed open. her eyes went wide when she saw the large interior of the bookstore. it was a shame she’d never visited before–in all fairness, the palace’s library was seemingly never ending and never needed replenishing. the princess was eager to make up for lost time, an awestruck smile lighting up her face as her gaze followed the shelves all the way to the ceiling. there were even titles ariella had never seen before, seemingly even some from outside of atherion. she was following the titles at the top of the shelves, head tilted back even as she walked forward. it was this sort of foolishness that had her walking straight into a complete stranger. ariella’s face turned bright pink in an instant and she stumbled backwards. apologies spilled out of her lips, gaze stuck to the ground. “i am so sorry! i should have been paying more attention!” ( @mercyclaim )