Despite the even tone, Basren flushed. Alaras<i>was</i>direct. No one had ever said it out loud, especially not in those terms, and the way Alaras said it, Basren knew right then that that was what was wrong.<br/><br/>"I see," he said, wilting. "I'm not--pure."<br/><br/><i>Imagine learning all this in one evening.</i>Basren thought he could. It was like looking at his own chances being snatched away from him, rather. To think of Alaras and this chance of happiness, only for the gate to be shut against him even before they'd met. He could say nothing, though. It would only make Alaras more upset. And if he was this upset about Basren and Sovele now, the idea that Sovele might call on Basren again wouldn't help that. Although, surely the Queen would put her foot down. Wasn't that what she was doing now?<br/><br/>Alaras could say all he liked that it wasn't Basren he was displeased with. Of course it was something he'd said, not himself. That was what Sovele always said. If he just acted like he was supposed to...<br/><br/>He was jolted forward by the tug on his wrist. His heart hammered, wondering if Alaras was going to hurt him. He couldn't allow that. He didn't<i>belong</i>to Alaras, not yet. It seemed imprudent, though, to wail back on him. He would just have to escape as soon as he got the chance.<br/><br/>But Alaras dropped his wrist and looked at him very seriously. Basren stared back at him, thrown by the question.<br/><br/>His brow furrowed. Carefully, he said, "We all serve the King." It took him a moment of looking at Alaras to realize what he meant, but that only made his brow furrow more. "No one refuses the King." He tried to imagine if he had. He couldn't. Sovele wasn't refused, and if he was, it didn't matter.<br/><br/>Basren eyed Alaras again.<br/><br/>"I don't think I... understand. Why you're upset." He wiped his sweating palms discreetly on his pantlegs. "Are you--are you a radical?"