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The chill air ruffled the elder angelic's fur as she sat demurely at the edge of a stream. She folded her wings down to wrap around her body like a cloak as her mind continued to trail off. Of all the things to think about, it was always the one she didn't want to think about that clawed its way to the surface. She shook her head roughly, golden locks splaying about as her crown uncharacteristically fell from her head. The golden crown made a loud splash in the frigid water and landed in the mud of the stream bed.

But Aurora took little notice of it, despite that it was such a heavy reminder that sat on her head. She couldn't even remember putting it on when she woke. She gave a sigh, clenching her eyes shut as she tried to push the thoughts from her head. Not at all succeeding but trying all the same.

A squeak broke into her thoughts as she noticed ripples in the water. She lifted her head, eyes staring blankly ahead, until the elder otter came into view. Even then it took another squeak to garner her attention.

Aurora gave a weak smile to the female, doing her best to listen to what she said. Still it took a few moments before she was able to gather the words into something that made sense, each word seemed to somehow loop around to lead her astray. In the end it was more the glitter of gold obscured by mud that finally pulled her fully from the despondent air that clung to her.

"Oh, yes," again she tried to smile in friendliness but it didn't quite manage to reach her eyes. "How clumsy of me to have dropped it." She starred at the muddied crown, tempted to pick it up and toss it away but in the end she simply reached her paw out for it. "Thank you for finding and returning it."

She accepted the crown, remembering the day it had been given to her, before placing it back on her head. It wasn't a day she thought of often though sometimes it invaded her dreams and conscious. For now it flickered briefly before falling into the back of her mind.

Sweeping away the distractions, Aurora did her best to focus on the otter before her. She gave a smile and curtsied as she had been instructed to do, a long grazing bend that seemed very hard to do without losing one's balance (and one's crown). "It is a pleasure to meet you, Elizabeth Swann. I am Princess Aurora," she introduced herself. It didn't occur to her until after that she probably should have left her title unknown but then it had been so drilled into her that it was a hard habit to break.

If not for her wings, Aurora probably would have retreated back to her home. The feathery appendages allowed her to cloak herself and insulate the heat radiating from her body. But Elizabeth was right, it was still cold and a fair breeze would easily cut through her dress. It didn't have the warmth (or itch) of wool but it was warmer than a silk gown.

"I needed some air," she replied softly. "There is--" she sighed, "I have a lot on my mind." It is as much as she can admit for the moment. She doesn't want to think about the things on her mind and talking about them would surely force her to do so.

She blinked, blue eyes wide, though she shook her head unwilling to place blame. It wasn't his fault because she'd started it. Even if it had hurt, stung really, when he'd pulled away and then left. She knew that he had done it for her, to protect her from doing something foolish. Only he had done it too late because she already had done something foolish.

It took her a moment to realize there were tears welling in the corners of her eyes. She swallowed hard, closing her eyes to force them back. Then gave a shaky laugh in hopes of covering up the overwhelming emotions, "No, no of course not. I-it's, I mean, it's all for the better." Even she didn't think Elizabeth would believe that.

Aurora frowned at the look on the other female's face, forgetting her own troubles for the moment. The weight of Elizabeth's paw on her shoulder made her hesitant to move so she draped one snow white wing around the elder otter in comfort. "I am sorry. That must have been very hard for you," she nodded then gave a small smile. "But you have your mate now, yes?"

"I do not know many here, save one very kind-" she furrowed her brow wondering how to describe him. He may not want to be talked about, "male," she decided would be the most ambiguous term. She did not know how many captains roamed the Oasis and did not want to give away his identity. Not when she was afraid she had messed up their friendship already.

"That would be lovely," Aurora said with a wide grin that finally reached her eyes. "I would be honored to be your friend as well," she added, more because she genuinely meant it than manners. She realized then that she was going to need friends, no matter what happened in the future, and hoped that this new friendship would last.

The talk of a mate made her curious though she honestly had not thought of Jack in that way. She had feelings, yes, but she did not know anything beyond that. And she knew it would be best never to think that way. "Before you were mates, were you friends?" She flinched, that wasn't what she'd meant to ask.

While the story sounded like it had a sweet ending, she couldn't help thinking it didn't help her at all. "I am glad you were able to overcome your differences," she gave a soft smile. Still it didn't leave her any less puzzled, any less worried. Not that she knew what question to ask without simply giving it all away, which she was far from ready to do.

"Have you ever done something that made him leave?" She sighed, that didn't sound right either but the more she tried to put her thoughts into words the more she found she wasn't sure what she was thinking in the first place. It made no sense that it was so difficult.