"not right now, not about this." alice couldn't help but feel silly already and she didn't need river commenting about it to make her feel sillier. alice had tried on the gown, she wore it around her room. she liked it, but then the realization set in that people would see her in it and suddenly it didn't feel like her anymore. it felt like people were all meant to be looking at princess alice, who was put together, who's tattoos and scars were hidden by sheer sleeves to appeal to the more conservative auradonians. she was meant to glide around the party like ice, not have to carefully pick her steps because no amount of princess training and remedial goodness made up for having not grown up wearing skirts with layers upon layers of fabric. and river probably didn't see any of that, why would he? he probably just saw her walking like a weirdo and saw that she looked silly. "i am in fact uncomfortable. i would really rather it not be acknowledged at least while i'm in the room." let the tabloids pick her apart, whatever, but she was going to be well behaved and try and get along even if she felt like everyone, or at least almost everyone expected her to be someone else.