[That gets...honestly, that gets a very short, almost mirthful bit of a chuckle out of her. Alaric's certainly not wrong, at any rate.]

Is that right? I suppose I should not be surprised. But I did try to get out any chance that I could, that much is true. I began memorizing the knights guard rounds so I could make a hasty exit without them knowing. But I always tried to keep my own escape schedule erratic so they couldn't be sure unless they checked my room.

[Blanche sounds legitimately smug about that. It was the greatest of fuck yous to her parents, but...well, she looks to Alaric and the smugness dies down and is replaced with something that most would still consider stony, but is about as close to being pleased as she gets.]

And yet, when you joined the knights, you became good at keeping up with me quite fast, didn't you? How did you manage that?