Michelle hadn't heard anyone approaching as she was inspecting the small cart laden with desserts. When she felt someone's presence at her elbow and turned guiltily towards the person, mouth covered in the evidence of her wrong doing.
She laughed slightly when she saw that it was David, thankful that it was not her mother come to scold her. "Old habits, stealing desserts." It used to be a game between herself and Jack, one would slip away from the nursemaid when they were too young to go to a function. The one that stayed would distract their watcher long enough for the other sibling to pilfer enough desserts for them both.
"You went there, to help my mom." The look in David's eyes was one of deepest gratitude. "She called me."
"Oh I just wanted to help. Or say hello, not my best idea." Mrs. Shepherd had been very like David, it was easy to see now where he'd learned to have the force of will to stand up to a King. She had also been different; she knew the world and had wanted to pull her son out of the darker parts of it.
"Everyone else in your family always sends someone. In a sea of fish you're the mermaid." This was one of the times that David had looked alive in ways he hadn't since his brother's death.
"She, um doesn't think you're safe, in Shiloh." Michelle had stepped nearer to David, wanting what she said to be strictly between them.
"Yeah, she might have a point." He glanced back to the state dining room, whether remembering what had occurred or looking out for when to return Michelle couldn't say. "You are the only person in the city I can trust, and I only ever see you in the hallway."
"Well, as far as I know, life happens in hallways." David could always make her smile, he was nervous and awkward but always sweet about it. They'd been looking at each other for a while before her mother intruded.
"Not the time for that young man," her mother scolded, coming down the hall towards the two of them.
"Later, if we make it through the day, we could uh. I don't have an actual idea." He didn't need to do anything special, Michelle just liked being around him.
"None needed. I'd like that, go." She shoed him off, back to Table.
"I see you are still nose to nose in private corners," the Queen said, glancing after David as he walked away.
"Obviously not too private," Michelle said, hinting that the corner had been plenty private before her mother arrived.
"It was nice when you took an interest in him when he was the press's darling, but that card's been played."
"I'm not playing a card."
"But you should be," Queen Rose admonished, "A boy like that, he's innocent now but he'll get a taste of manor life soon enough and then, you know, he'll start enjoying things. Desire for comfort replaces desire proper all too quickly, and the chairs here are very soft. I picked them myself." The Queen looked at her daughter and gave a meaningful look at the dessert cart. Michelle's sneaking desserts had not gone unnoticed.
I'm trying to find places for pegging but it isn't working. It might end up just being a Michelle point of view about the two of them, with attempts at pegging by me.