She added the last part half laughing. Even here, Belle seemed to confuse people ....

Belle smiled wryly "Believe me your Majesty he would rather not see me travel so far from home but I fear I have no choice in this matter. I have no other option to go home you see?" She felt that the Queen would understand at least in some way. "Your nobles seem flustered by me."

She smiled slightly. "No your majesty, he is not. He prefers the comforts of his home to gatherings of noblemen." This was undoubtedly true, though the real reasons were not what everyone might conclude. "I am travelling alone for now. But I hope to return home soon."

She hesitated a moment. "My names is Belle your high... I mean majesty."
Her marriage only had made her royal, and she had never thought of herself as a princess. She wondered if her name rang any bells among thr gathering as the peasant girl who had scandalously snared a handsome prince

"Your ..."
Belle faltered. Highness? Majesty? Lady? She settled on highness. "Your highness forgive me I am a stranger in your land. I am a french woman with no way to return home."
She left out all the rest. First and foremost she needed a place to stay and a library to browse ...

It was porcelain. Not sure burning it would have any effect

Well I am not preserving the memory in a bag that is for sure.

Yes. Means I never have to clean it again you see?

I was ... Cleaning. Kind of.

Belle was rarely tongue tied, her book filled mind usually presented her with *something* to respond with but this was different. She felt, rather than knew, that she was facing someone else.
"Ni ... Nice to meet you?" Her voice shot up at the end of the sentence.

Well, I could provide you the pancakes. That's a tiny start, maybe?

Reading a book, obviously, and slurp coffee or another beverage and maybe make breakfast for dinner, meaning scrambled eggs and pancakes and some small sausages. How does that sound?