"Right. So we should get on the same page."

About what, he doesn't say. 

"Yes," he says. 

"...Which I'm not entirely sure how to do because up until now all the other people in his life have been"-- he gestures-- "Audrey."

"At least they aren't dating anymore?" 

"She was. Unobjectionable."

"She was unobjectionable and he treated dates like they were a chore and I'm glad he isn't doing that anymore." 

And he won't have the twisting hollow pit in his stomach anymore. There's that too. 

"I hope he'll find someone to date that he doesn't object to."

"Not sure 'doesn't object' is the criteria I'd use, but yes." 

Asher is watching him very very closely.

"I imagine he has a very specific type."

"I'm not sure why you'd think that?" 

"When you're someone like Ben you can wind up having a public persona that's very different from the person you really are in private."

"...yes, I'm familiar with the phenomenon, but what does that have to do with having a specific type." 

He shrugs.

"Just that there's a certain kind of person Ben is supposed to like and I am pretty sure that is not the sort of person he actually does like."

He nods. 

He is quiet for a while and says "...I suspect he is concerned that if people knew the sort of person he liked then they would judge him or be upset with him. Which, of course, I would not."

"I don't think there's anything I could learn about him that would make me disapprove of him," he says honestly. 

"Me too. I am his"-- Asher waves a hand-- "vassal, I guess? I am loyal to him no matter what. It's not even that I wouldn't, it's that-- it doesn't make sense in the relationship that I have to him."

— oh. Vassal is a good word. "I think right now I'm just his friend. I just — can't imagine it ever happening." 

"He needs a friend, I think. He needs a friend very very badly."

"Then I'm glad I can give him that." 

"Ben wants to be a good king, and I want to help him be a good king. But being a good king is different from being happy and-- he needs someone who cares most of all about whether he's happy."

"I'm not sure I could care more about something else if I tried." 

"I think we'll get along well then. --Well, you'll hate me but I'll like you."

He laughs but doesn't answer in words. 

"You should probably go to class, you're late."