She punches Tyelcormo again. "Good job, good skill, see you around."

He watches her go with a bemused air. "Nelyo, did you patch things up?"

"With Irisse? I'd just make them worse."

"It's possible she just wanted to meet me?" she suggests.

"Yeah, maybe."

"You know her better than I do."

"She's very confusing. Also that list was half wrong, I don't think I'm very arrogant and Maitimo's not insecure."

"Mm, you can meaningfully attribute a set of traits to a group without every member having every trait."

"Yeah but less so when the group only has eight people."

"True. On the other hand she did say he was subtle about it. ...Possibly I shouldn't have said that while he's standing right there."

"I'm not particularly bothered by psychoanalysis," says Maitimo agreeably, munching chocolate. "Can you use that in your psychoanalysis? Notice also that 'is really good at hiding it' and 'doesn't have it' seem conveniently indistinguishable."

"Talking about someone behind their back to their face is still rude."

"Appallingly so. I have very hurt feelings." He makes a doe-eyed face and nibbles chocolate. "I think Irisse's forgiven you, Turko."

"Good. I can have multiple archery instructors."

"You shall learn from the best. Now, everyone in the palace is going to want to come congratulate you two, and if you hang out in my office then they will come congratulate you in my office, so..."

"We'll shoo."

"Thank you. Take the chocolate."

"You're awesome."

"I am at least astonishingly good at making people think so."

"I'm not sure there's a meaningful difference, as long as you're not using it as cover to plot horrible things."

"Ssshh! Our cousins shall hear about the secret dungeons!"

"Secret dungeons?" says a voice over his shoulder, and someone else is leaning against the door.

"Findekano!" says Maitimo. "Will you do me a tremendous favor and shoo the newlyweds while you congratulate them or they shall be here all day. As a reward I will tell you all about the secret dungeons."

The new arrival rolls his eyes. 

"Come on, dearheart, I think we've overstayed our welcome. I'd be tugging on you if my arms weren't full of varyingly delightful objects."

So they leave. And get congratulated a few more times.

Which is lovely.

"Did you want to go to the architects? I want a house but he - has a point."

"He really does, I'm not sure. Maybe the thing to do is to figure out how to use dreamshaping to get between places really fast so we can move down south and still see everyone we want to here on a regular basis."

"That'd be amazing. How would you even approach it?"