Alaras seemed to have caught his caution. Basren felt a moment of dismay. Was it because of the match they were trying to make or Sovele's involvement of it all? He couldn't fault anyone for thinking they didn't want to test if Sovele was<i>really </i>ready to let him go. Even if Sovele had said it would be easy to replace him, Basren didn't think it would. Otherwise, he would have done so, wouldn't he? He was only reminding Basren of his place, making sure he didn't get attached himself so that when the time came--when Alaras came--he'd be able to go to him happily.<br/><br/>His thoughts were dragged from that, though, when Alaras accepted the offer of his tailor. Alaras' things would no longer fit him? He wondered if that meant Alaras had been sick, or lost weight, or simply hadn't been bothered with fashion for as long as he'd been at his studies. The Academics wore robes, didn't they? Perhaps it didn't matter if one's ankles could be seen under them.<br/><br/>"We'll have the tailor look at the rest, then," Basren said, in what he hoped was a warm manner. They couldn't have everyone at court thinking Sovele was handing Basren over to a country bumpkin. They would wonder what Sovele was thinking.<br/><br/>Basren glanced at Alaras to see him still staring, disconcerted. He was about to say that, of course, the tailor would only touch what Alaras wanted him to--perhaps there was some tradition to some of the clothes Alaras had brought?--but Alaras started to speak before he could say anything.<br/><br/>What rumors. Another suitor.<br/><br/>He didn't know. Alaras didn't know.<br/><br/>"A-a suitor. No," Basren said. He turned away from Alaras to stare straight ahead, put his cup to his mouth again but barely tasted the coffee that he gulped down.<br/><br/>The Queen and her children were sitting across the room. Basren wondered if he could say it. Out loud. He wondered if they were eavesdropping, if they were using magic to do it, if they hadn't heard what he'd said already which seemed far too egregious.<br/><br/>He said, leadingly, with an imploring look for Alaras (who was so painfully direct) to understand him, "Sovele and I are... very close. It distresses the Queen, of course, but there's never been any danger of a child. I'm far too low content." He tipped the rest of his coffee down his throat. "I have never had suitors. Sovele never approved."