"Alice…" Minerva began, her voice trembling. She wasn't even sure why she felt so nervous, as if she were standing before a strict principal after committing a mistake. Perhaps it was simply how her character was supposed to behave, as a subordinate to Alice. Speaking up or trying to reason felt almost wrong, but Minerva forced herself to push those feelings aside.
"I've long wanted to ask… what do you really think of me and our friendship?" Minerva asked quietly, her voice almost a whisper, as if she only wanted to hear Alice reassure her that they were the best of friends.
Alice, seeing the vulnerability in Minerva's gaze, assumed as much. She looked back at Minerva with unwavering eyes, as if Minerva were her only friend in the world, her closest companion in flesh and blood.
