As she had expected he would, Théadan found the story funny enough to give a big laugh and Navia could not keep from grinning at him for it. Sure, it was at the expense of her teenage self, but she had long ago gotten over the humiliation she had experienced that evening and could see the humor behind it. He was right that her age at the time had made it difficult for her to get over such an event in her life, that moment had replayed in her mind and in dreams more than once afterward, but Navia was resilient and confident in herself. It had done little to her over time. She could not be sure how the poor teenage boy she had been dancing with that night and who was partially responsible for her embarrassment felt afterward though. Théadan was probably right in thinking the boy had been just as humiliated as she was. She just hadn’t given it much thought at the time.<br/><br/>Happy to have shared and be done with her debt, Navia nodded her agreement that the young noble she’d danced with was also embarrassed by the dress ripping and had begun to get ready to try standing so they could head to bed. Théadan surprised her by asking what she and her father had done however, and she looked back to him with both eyebrows raised briefly before it was her turn to laugh. “Oh, I was mortified,” she admitted with a laugh of her own, “I remember I just laid there in shock that I could feel air on my skin as the room went silent. If I could have melted into the floor to get away, I would have. But I was also angry. Badri was nearly beside himself trying to help me and could not stop apologizing, but all I could care about was how upset I was with my father. I had barely stood up by the time he whisked me away from the dance floor and off to a corner to help me try to salvage my dress enough so I could leave with some dignity.”<br/><br/>Navia released a small snort, eyes wandering Théadan’s face briefly before she smiled again. “When I was little, my mother would always blame the Thakur in me when I was stubborn, that her side of the family was more peaceful. And growing up with only my father for most of my life and seeing how bullheaded he could be, she was probably right. He definitely passed that down to his children and that night was of no exception. I remember we stood there bickering while he gathered my skirts and tied them so I could walk out of the great hall without clutching at the clothing. We were furious with each other. He just went on and on about how I tricked him and how everyone who mattered in the kingdom was watching. And I remember being so embarrassed that I was crying, but I was also angry he wouldn’t let me wear what I wanted. I also told him how it was all his fault I’d even gone out to dance in the first place since I was trying to get away from him.” Ah, the warped reality and pride of youth. She had been so adamant it was her father's fault she had ended up in that situation when as an adult, Navia could see it was all her own doing.<br/><br/>Shaking her wryly, but still amused with her own story, Navia reached up to push a hand through her hair to smooth it some before continuing, “He actually escorted me back to my chambers that night, which he never did. But he said he couldn’t risk me making a fool of myself or our family again, so I was to go to bed early. I was completely fine with it; I was pretty aghast at what had happened so I was glad to have a reason not to return. I tried to lay low for a few days afterward so people would forget what I had done, but Kazim and Yousef took a lot of pleasure in either reenacting my fall or calling me Duch-ass when the adults weren’t listening.” Navia rolled her eyes at the nickname, finding it childish and unoriginal, but then her expression turned more prideful. “They could laugh and tease all they wanted; I was still my father’s favorite. The next morning, my seamstress arrived with instructions from the prince to mend my dress and she had been told she had to add a shawl so I could still wear the dress, but have it be more appropriate for my title. Even though he had not agreed with me wearing it, my father knew how much I had wanted it and offered a compromise. But I never did wear another dress in that style; that night ruined it for me.” After a shrug, Navia reached out to give Théadan’s side a provoking little poke, “What about you, hm? Any humiliating stories from your past to share?” She was almost afraid to ask, given the brutality Théadan had experienced in his past, but Navia felt it necessary when she had shared.