Maybe strained it a little.

Nah. That guy'll grumble about weird travelers but it'll all be lumped in with the rest of his litany of complaints about the world these days. No one will take real notice.

Good.

They can press forward without fear.

Onto the next stop?

Ever onwards, learning more about what people here are like.

There's a few false starts and plenty of minor mistakes - but Nyarie continues to have magic socialization powers, so. Those can make up for a lot, even her ongoing awkwardness with lying.

That it does. They'll also need to settle into more evolved forms of their disguises, something that they can hold up over a long term.

Hmm...

A woman on the run from something back home seems to hold up best - cover the most slips. It's... Interesting, but common at the same time, and Nyarie's bad at being uninteresting anyways.

And where does Sulumithil fit?

...Hmmmmm.

The forbidden lover she's fleeing with, clearly.

That would be a good reason for them to be traveling together! And an explanation for the two of them sticking close, and warding off anyone who gets too nosy.

And Sulumithil shoving herself into Nyarie's conversations if needed.

Mhm. Plus, they can save on rooms if they only need one bed.

Do they, though?

Depends how committed to the bit she is. Or, admittedly, the precise nature of the bit, but it'd be a bit more of a stretch for them to run away together but not be to the point of sharing a bed...

They should test this first, perhaps. See how committed they feel.

The empirical method, huh? Sure.

Seems the least risky option.

"I hope you don't have cold feet," she teases.

"You'll have to warm them if I do."

"Oh, the princessness is showing again."

"I can't be your princess, still?"

"If it makes you feel better."

"Might ease the transition to lover on the run from all she's known."