"I was married off late; I was eighteen." Isabela shrugged. "By then you ought to have had a child or two, in theory." She'd never wanted them back then, and now, most children just made her feel old. Thinking of their naivete made her think of Merrill, which made her grimace. She hoped the elf didn't think she'd just buggered off somewhere. She normally would have done, but she'd promised Merrill letters if she went anywhere.
"I get the impression that this might drive both of us to drink," she decided to tease, wanting him to smile, "so let's change the subject. Do you have any sort of hobby, for the rare moments you're not working? Like, I learnt to read palms. At first it was a scam, but then I really got to know how to do it."