Old-fashioned. Basren wondered what that meant, especially when Alaras had as well admitted that he wasn't pure himself and had never married. Alaras' idea of being a radical was much narrower than Basren's, for whom "radical" meant "anyone who disagrees with the King and says it out loud." That was often how Sovele defined it, after all. Unless someone had a good reason or the social standing (which mostly amounted to the position of: the Queen) to disagree with him, that was how he treated them as well.<br/><br/>"I see," Basren said.<br/><br/>He didn't. He wasn't sure what old-fashioned ideas Alaras was talking about, just that, somehow, it wasn't his fault, but the King's. Apparently. He wasn't sure how to work that one out, since he and Sovele had been sleeping<i>together.</i>Part of the fault had to lie with Basren. In most people's opinion, all of it did. After all, no one was going to blame Sovele. Except Alaras.<br/><br/>Basren stared at him, and then blinked as he brought up a good point. They'd spent just a little too long tucked away here. His mind was spinning away with that when Alaras continued on about making his interest known publicly, about getting Basren's tailor, doing things properly. Basren ducked his head to hide his smile, and forcibly kept the sting in his eyes back as relief flooded through him.<br/><br/>He must have said<i>something </i>right.<br/><br/>"I will," Basren said, when he could look up again. He didn't bother hiding his smile then, and it was all relief and warmth. He hesitated a bare second, then caught up Alaras' hand and swept it to his mouth to give a brief kiss to his knuckles. "I won't disappoint you."<br/><br/>Then he got them out of the library. The servant from before had turned around and gone about his business. Some of them, Basren knew, didn't want to get caught up in drama. He was nowhere to be found. Basren bid Alaras a good night and trusted him to find his own way back to his suite, then disappeared himself.<br/><br/>His tailor only nodded when he asked him to see to Alaras, and there was plenty of fabric left over from the gifted roll to do whatever he might want with it. He also sent a note to the Queen with careful wording to assure her that Alaras hadn't escaped his grasp. He got nothing in response, but when he saw her again, her anger had tempered down into her usual cool looks.<br/><br/>The rest of the week was spent in his garden. He didn't imagine that Alaras would want to stay in court any longer than he was required--he just seemed that sort of man--and so he had only a little while, he reasoned, to complete it. He also sorted through his stock, wondering how much he could actually take with him. Perhaps Sovele would give him some of it to take with him, as a wedding gift. Alaras' garden would never be left in shambles while he went out again.<br/><br/>Near the end of the week, he sent a small bundle of flowers to Alaras in a carved box enchanted to keep it cold. He hoped Alaras would take the hint and pin it to his vest, but he wasn't sure. Alaras lacked so much subtlety that Basren wasn't sure how coy to be himself.<br/><br/>The gala was being held in the Duchess of Rialt's gardens, which meant that they had to take a carriage over. The Queen had let Basren borrow one herself instead of riding with them to the gala. The royal family always arrived late, after everyone else. Basren could get ready early enough, for once, and that kept him busy, away from his building excitement.<br/><br/>When Alaras arrived at his door, Basren stepped back, smiling widely. "Let me look at you," he said. He'd approved of the tailor's design after Alaras' measurements had been taken, but he hadn't seen Alaras in it. His tailor had done wonders, and Alaras' trim form was spotlighted, sleek instead of spindly. "You look very fine," he said, turning his smile up to Alaras.<br/><br/>He handed Alaras a thick card with a loop of string on the end. "Your dance card," he said. "I'll put it on your sleeve when we get there. I hope," he said, his voice slowing as it did, "you don't mind that you've claimed three waltzes of mine. It is a traditional sign of interest..."