"Hi, I'm Elaine - Sebastian said you might be along. What can I do for you?"
Elaine appears to be about 16 - she stands 5'4" tall, and has shoulder length blonde hair, which frames an open, smiling face. She is dressed in one of the simpler and more tasteful styles currently in fashion, and seems never to come to a complete standstill.
"I don't know why you're talking to me, really. Sebastian's done *far* more interesting things than I have. About the only interesting thing I ever did was get born.
"Oh? Well, everyone thought my mum, the Queen was barren, so it was rather a surprise. Sebastian? On, no - he was adopted, I thought you knew. Anyway, everyone used to say that it must have been Nevyn who was responsible, because dad made him Royal Advisor straight after I was born, and nobody had ever heard of him before. Nevyn was really nice, though - and he taught Sebastian loads of stuff. I don't know why they never trusted him properly.
"Growing up was kind of boring - not like that, I had loads of friends, and it was really nice and everything, but nothing really bad or scary happened - and people always think that makes for the best stories. Sebastian used to protect me from that sort of thing - it was really sweet, especially when he got into fights for me. He really wasn't the type to fight, but the bigger boys sure were surprised at how good he was. I can still remember the look on Shawn's face.
"That all ended 3 years ago. What happened? Oh, I forgot - Sebastian hates talking about it. Our home was destroyed. Not soldiers burning down the castle or anything, just gone. The whole world. At least, that's what I was told.
"It was scary, I guess, but more sad. It was a bit over a year ago, when Sebastian came running into my room in the middle of the night. He looked really, really scared - so I knew something was wrong. There was a really odd storm outside. Very black, and the lightning just looked... wrong. Anyway, Sebastian was arguing with a woman I didn't recognise - she was saying 'I'm only here to collect you', but he wouldn't go without me. She looked really worried, too - I guess he was taking too long for her.
"Anyway, then we ran out into the courtyard, and everything went strange. I can't describe it, but I don't really remember anything until we were just standing together in the middle of this huge red carpet. Really huge, and I couldn't see a ceiling. Then we walked for a bit, and stayed at her house.
"What next? Well we stayed there for a while, and then someone else arrived, and argued with the woman we were staying with - I guess he was more important, because he won - but I didn't understand what they were saying. Anyway, Sebastian went with him, and I wasn't allowed to go. He came back a few days later - but he was really ill. Not his body - he never seems to get sick - but his mind. I don't think anyone really expected him to come back - but they never really told me. You learn a lot from what people don't say, though.
"Well, he got better, slowly, but he spent a lot of time locked up, or off on his own thinking, or practicing, or something - he never really would say which. I was a little lonely, I suppose - there were people, but not the same ones, and he wasn't there much of the time. And I was sad about home. I'm still not sure if I can call myself a princess any more. I hated it when I had to be called Princess Elaine, but... Well, anyway - I don't use it normally, so just call me Elaine, or Ellie if you like.
"After he got better, we came here - Asylum, he called it. I'm not sure it's just that, but it's a nice city, so I'm happy. He needs to let go some more, I think.
"Was there anything else? Or would you care for a light lunch - our new cook does wonderful things with salmon."
Elaine has, since this point had a couple of misadventures of her own, starting with being kidnapped while nominally heading for lunch with Caine.
She has also been befriended rather by Coenna, in what apparently started as a dig at Sebastian, but might now be something more. Indeed, she is downright infatuated, after what is presumably deliberate manipulation by Coenna.
Elaine is acquiring Reality of her own at a reasonable rate, and displays a much strongr psyche than one would expect from a typical Shadow dweller.