It should! The lack of physical affection is wholly explained by respectability too. The city is abuzz that its most eligible prince is finally dating someone.

"This is kind of weird," Ahya tells her husband.

(Marille has explained why she is dating Maitimo. Ahya's not sharing that but it's still kind of weird.)

"Yeah. Seriously. Why would she even like him, he's terrible -"

"That might actually be my fault, spending so much time occupied with you and not her may have left her in need of a confidante. And he's good at that, whatever else."

"It's great they're friends, just. Married? Can you see it? Really?"

"...I think Marille knows what she's getting into and if this is her choice it's more important to support her than criticize her."

(No, she can't see it, but she can't really explain why, or why they're doing it anyway.)

"Yeah but -"

"Yeah, I know.

...I know things about why this is less of a bad idea than it seems but they're secrets and they're Marille's secrets, I can't just tell you them."

"Secret reasons you should marry someone too uptight to - not only has he not kissed her, I'm pretty sure he's been careful to never be alone with her so people can't even wonder if he has -"

"Frankly if you could naively imagine how they make it make sense they wouldn't be very good at being secrets."

"True." Sigh. "You could tell Marillë she can trust me."

"I could but considering everything I think she would want Maitimo to be okay with it first before she gave me permission to tell you. I'll bring it up with her."

"All right." Kiss. 

Yes, that.

We have a minor issue, Marille tells Maitimo a while later.

Hmmm?

Tyelcormo has noticed that we have literally zero sexual chemistry and thinks us getting married is a really bad idea. Ahya thinks he can be trusted not to spill the beans and wants permission to tell him the truth.

Sigh. 

- yeah, okay.

Yeah.

There isn't much of a way of getting around the fact that we don't have any chemistry, but at least it's the kind of thing most people who aren't Tyelcormo wouldn't notice.

Yeah. I think Tyelcormo might be more inclined to look for reasons it's a bad idea than anyone else would bother being. I could be more affectionate in public.

Might help. On the other hand it might not, if people wonder why the change.

That seems easy enough to pass off as getting more serious - I think even if I were really courting someone I'd be cautious with that, it wouldn't be right to go too far and then decide we weren't suited to marry -

I see your point.

It took me ten Years to touch Findekáno once I wanted him. Though it would have gone a bit faster if it were safe.

It was faster than that for me and Vorondie but she took most of the initiative.