Of course Reynell would give the most backhanded compliment he could, especially in front of Basren's... suitor.<br/><br/>Basren paused. There had been more than a few who expressed their interest in Basren since he came of age, and Basren had indulged a few of them when he was younger and didn't know better. Sovele had put a stop to all that soon enough, and as he got older, the interest had dried up except for either the very adventurous, the daring, or the scheming. To have a suitor--a<i>real</i>one--cracked open a tiny glimmer of hope. Even Reynell couldn't tarnish that.<br/><br/>"Language," Labelle told Reynell in a hiss. She watched Alaras retrieve his fork with a softer look. "I promise we aren't so crass."<br/><br/>No one said anything about Alaras being surprised, although it was completely incongruous with how the Queen had said Alaras had expressed interest himself. Basren noticed. No one else seemed inclined to point it out. Basren fought down the heavy weight of panic in his gut, too, when Alaras admitted he'd spoken of no such liaison with Sovele, either.<br/><br/><i>That's why he still has eyes in his head,</i>his mind supplied helpfully.<br/><br/>After dinner, when they were filing out for coffee and smoke into the adjacent room, Anis pulled him aside. He searched her face when she said that Sovele was not to meet Alaras, not until his interest could be made public. His interest would be made public, as soon as Basren arrived to the gala on his arm, and by then the gossip would have spread to where Sovele making objections would be decidedly messy. Basren wasn't stupid.<br/><br/>"King Sovele..." Basren said, caution in his voice, "does<i>know</i>?" He shouldn't be questoining her, he shouldn't. He was going to be slapped, and that would just be the start of things.<br/><br/>But Anis smiled at him. Put a hand on his arm. "He thought it best to let me handle it. You are, after all, dear to him." It cost her something to say it, in the way her face tightened. "He didn't trust himself to stay out of the way."<br/><br/><i>Eyes,</i>Basren thought, and said, "Oh." And then he reached up and put his hand over hers, giving it a squeeze. "I--I would very much like the chance to be happy with someone. Thank you, Your Majesty."<br/><br/>She looked surprised. Basren removed his hand and gave a short bow, then excused himself to do as he was ordered.<br/><br/>Reynell was standing over a seated Alaras, regaling him with a hunting story, but when Basren reentered the room, Labelle took Reynell's arm and pulled him away with some flimsy excuse. Basren fixed himself a cup of coffee from the table and, once it didn't look like Alaras was going to rebuff him, took a seat next to him.<br/><br/>Alaras' cup was in his hand, but barely touched.<br/><br/>"We have weaker blends," Basren said, "or herbal teas, if they're more to your liking." He wasn't going to mention Alaras' constitution, in case that was part of why he had been so curt in the garden.<br/><br/>He took a sip of his own, strong and sweet, milky. A child's taste. He wished he'd just brought it over black. If nothing else, he could add to Alaras' line with his health. It was worth something.<br/><br/>"I should apologize to you. I didn't mean to make you a subject of gossip between the King and Queen." He kept his eyes mostly pointed somewhere off to their left, but it was just enough to survey any reactions Alaras might have. He didn't want to make him angry, only to explain himself. "Sov--the King asked me for my opinion of you. I did say I would tell him good things. I didn't imagine--I can only guess--that--perhaps he planned this from the beginning."<br/><br/>He held his cup in his lap, the porcelain still hot enough to sting his fingertips.<br/><br/>"I hope," he said in his slow, cautious way, "I can suit you. But if you truly have no interest, I can report that I've failed."