"That makes sense."

"Anyway, just - if you don't want her to marry random people then maybe explain that or something."

"I will explain that!"

"Thanks." And she heads off to hang out by the book pile some more.

And he goes looking for Imrainai.

She's still talking to Asmodia and Verita, though the conversation is winding down. Eventually Verita drags her mother off somewhere else.

"Hey. How are you feeling?"

"Oka - coping. Trying not to lie, apparently if I end up entangled with any fairies it'll hurt them."

"I'm working on a blessing for that - for reminding people not to lie, it can't help with the fairy side of things - but I don't know how to give those to you anyway. Do you want a hug?"

Nodnod.

"Probably seems a little silly to keep saying so."

" - to keep wanting hugs?"

"Yeah. You'd think at some point I'd - hit diminishing returns, or something."

" - when Elves are pregnant they need to be held all the time. For the baby. Alex says this is not true for humans but it seems to me like it ought to be a medical emergency even if it isn't."

"It's really pretty normal. The - being pregnant itself."

"Yes but - hmmm, imagine if you ran into someone who hadn't eaten in two weeks, and they kept apologizing for eating food and explaining that, actually, their species doesn't strictly need it so they're sure you think they're very unreasonable."

- nodnod.

Hughug. 

"Do you have thoughts about what would make a person a suitable husband, or would you rather not try to figure it out? There's certainly enough people here to help with the baby even if you do not want one."

"Normally we just pick from whichever members of our work crews are still single. We don't get a lot of people to choose from. Even for the Houses that don't do forced marriages."

"Does that work all right?"

"Better than the ones that do forced marriages. I think."

"Forced marriages are very terrible and wrong."

"Yeah. Plenty of people do okay either way, though. As okay as anybody does, anyway."

"Well, I think you should not get married if you think it's only going to be okay, and should wait until you think it's going to be very good."

"That - seems like it's probably not going to happen?"

"Yeah, it might not. I just - don't want you to think we expect you to marry unhappily."