"It just - sounded very obviously sarcastic. Of course I'm not mad that I'm not in charge."

"I think you're oversensitive right now because of all the bad news."

"That's possible. I just - heard it as obviously an insult and wasn't aware of having done anything that you'd insult me for, there. But if you didn't mean it that way then I'm sorry for misinterpreting you."

"I accept your apology."

It sounds so incorrect, whenever he says that. She guesses it's because he's supposed to say she doesn't have anything to be sorry for, but since he isn't saying that he must think she does, every time she apologizes for anything, so maybe she needs to keep doing it and just accept the constant hits to how much social capital she's spending.

Maybe she should work on - having fewer emotions but also being able to hold engaging conversations. Maybe she should practice on her own. Maybe then she'd spend less of his favor on annoying him over dinner.

She eats. 

"Did you want to talk about anything else?"

"Oh. I dunno."

"Oh.

"How's Fazil doing?"

"I think he's stressed because he feels like he should make everything go well and he's not actually competent to do that. Also it's probably a test of his faith, or something, having a bad pharaoh."

"That makes sense.

"I wrote a letter for him. I was wondering if you could deliver it, if you were going to see him anyway. It's about the stuff we were talking about last night, because I wanted to see if he had any advice, but - given the nature of the problem I wasn't completely sure the censors would let it through."

"Oh."

"...is that okay, or - ?"

"'m thinking."

"Okay."

She'll focus on eating, then.

"I don't like people knowing - bad things about me."

"Yeah. That's - part of why I want you to give it to him. I think we can trust him, and I don't know who the censors are, and I don't super want lots of other people to have - unflattering information about your marriage. But I also don't think I can solve this problem without asking anyone else for advice."

"I did ask you to solve it."

" - yes? This is me working on it. I wrote letters to clerics of Erastil and Shelyn that didn't explain the problem, because I don't want anyone else hearing about it and I can explain it to them when they get here, and I wrote a letter to Fazil that does, so he can write back and maybe say something useful. Because - I don't think I'm smart enough to definitely figure everything out alone, but you gave me two weeks, and I want to make the best possible use of them."

"Okay."

"...will you deliver it?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Thank you."

"I appreciate the work you're doing."

"Thanks. I don't know if it'll work. 

"I like - talking, like this. It's helpful. For not being scared. Would admittedly be more helpful without the bit where I momentarily thought you were mocking me for thinking I knew anything, but, hey, things happen. I think we're still coming out ahead here."

"That's good. I want to - have a relationship with you, I don't just want - what we've talked about. It's just -

They already tracked down all the people responsible, which is unfortunate, maybe it'd cheer me up to do it."

" - I know things are really hard right now. For both of us. I think - I wanted to be with you before, I really really did, and I couldn't figure it out, so - I think I need to talk to people about it. But I also think that an important part of making it as okay as it was is just - feeling like I know you again, and I know it's maybe kind of annoying, but - I think it's important. And it's the part I have some idea how to do off the top of my head."