For once, Alden seem less annoyed and more taken aback. There was genuine confusion in his eyes, as if he wasn't sure how to take it. He didn't want to reject Abir. Not yet. As strange as it was to him that Abir would be so quick to tell him that he loved him, he wasn't about to be so callous as to completely disregard it.<br/><br/>If anything, outside of being confused, he was also intrigued. So far Abir had done nothing to wrong him all throughout the day. Sure, sometimes the strong desire for affection was still a bit alarming to him, but it was only because he wasn't so used to physical touch. When was the last time he had allowed someone to come that physically close to him, for anything other than a handshake? Ever since his status became that of a monstrous outcast, his interactions with other humans were few and far between.<br/><br/>As he realized that he had probably spent an awkward amount of time, simply staring into Abir's eyes, he cleared his throat and gently held the prince's chin. "...let's not speak of it here. Let's return to your tent so I can retrieve my cloak, and then we can go to my carriage to see if Vitae has returned. If not, well... perhaps you would be interested in seeing the rest of my collection?"