She grins at him. "Good."

And after dinner he returns her home.

Whereupon she quizzes Khalil on how he's gotten on today, and he dutifully tells her that he ate breakfast and dinner and read a book and was able to answer the door for Rabab when she came to ask Ismat-being-a-woman-related questions.

The royal family, then, can write to Ismat's parents about an engagement, and he can stop by Trilliant to ask to pick out wedding jewelry for his fiancee.

Ismat's parents are very confused but, uh, yes, their daughter marrying a prince sounds good?

"Well, I have this policy," says Ismat very seriously, from her half-empty back room, "that I won't sell anybody wedding jewelry without a consult with the bride."

"I thought I'd surprise her."

"I can't have people walking around telling their friends that all this jewelry they hate is from Trilliant, you understand."

"But what foolish woman would hate jewelry from Trilliant?"

"Oh, she'll have no complaints about the quality, but suppose you get her platinum and she thinks gold's better for her skin tone, or you get her rubies and they clash with her entire wardrobe. Suppose you like florals and she wants geometrics, or you get her opals but she doubts she'll be able to keep them dry."

"Oh, all right. Let me just bring her in for the consult - I know I left her around here somewhere -" He looks searchingly in all directions, then kisses her.

One of the remaining women in the workshop coos softly.

Ismat smirks at him when he pulls back and says, "All right. I know what your fiancée likes. Now I need to know your budget."

"Eighty thousand. I was promised a discount, though."

"Mm-hm, I can waive the labor cost. Most of it. When's the wedding?"

"I should consult my fiancee on that, too. I was thinking two months."

"Any ideas on enchantments? That's enough time for a few."

"Which do you think she'd like?"

"Well, I suppose even if she's already got some of all her favorites it might be about time to update the style."

"The ones she has now are in men's fashions for some reason. Maybe you could redo them with lots of gold and diamonds."

"Jacinth," she says. "Gold and jacinth and fire opals." She kisses him.

"Well, you're the expert on women."

"It's generalizations like that which make me insist on the consult. But don't worry. She'll love it."

He visits her shop frequently. They can go out on walks in the evenings. She can come to dinner again, if she wants, and Khalil can see the Dome.

Khalil will accompany Ismat to dinner, sure.

Then he can see the Dome and make sure he finds the palace liveable.

He thinks it seems nice especially if in winter there will be some access to sky. "It's sort of reassuring, in a way, there's only so lost I could get."