“Huh! That’s true, and good noticing.” His lips twitch. “Some of us are sneakier than others. I’ve been told I’d make a very bad spy because I can’t hide it at all.”

Elves you can barely tell unless they're talking to a dozen people.

Lancir freezes midway through standing up. “...They can do that? Gods! I mean, I think Taver can do that with other Companions, but he’s, er, specially built for it. Us mere mortals certainly can’t.”

Well, the Elves are specially built for it, I guess. I can't load up on threads like that but I don't think I go blank when I'm asking a quick question of someone not in the room.

“Hmm. That is interesting.” He shoves some of the papers into a drawers and locks it, then waves his hand vaguely in midair. “There, wards are up, we can go if you want.”

She steps out of the room and accompanies him to find Vanyel.

Vanyel is in his room, yawning again and trying without that much success to review some notes. He jumps up when he senses someone coming, and already has the door open before either of them can knock. 

“Bella! What are you doing here?” He shoots a self-conscious glance in Lancir’s direction before looking back to her. “I, um, wanted to come find you after your meeting to ask if you could do the coffee-thing again?”

Not more than once a day. If you're an insomniac I can put you to sleep tonight?

“You can do that too?” He looks simultaneously impressed and dubious. “I’ll think about it, I guess. Why are you both here?”

Lancir owes you an apology.

Lancir clears his thread. 

"I, er, asked Bella for advice about you," he says stiffly. "Thought she could be a valuable resource." 

(Vanyel's expression goes wooden, but up to this point he doesn't look surprised.) 

"And," Lancir says, reluctantly, "she informed me that by her world's standards that's very inappropriate – that I should have asked you specifically for permission, and absent that assumed that anything you told me was to be completely confidential from everyone. I'm still figuring out whether her full oath of secrecy is workable given our circumstances, but I'm leaning toward thinking that I erred much too far in the other direction. So I guess I retroactively apologize for the times I asked Savil questions about you or told her anything related to what we'd talked about." 

He glances sideways at Bella, with the look of someone silently asking whether he's done the thing yet and can stop. 

Vanyel just looks stunned. "Bella, what? Really?" 

Yes really! Your mind belongs to you and you should have absolute control over who sees what of it. I would think he should also apologize for leaking to Taver, not just me and Savil, but he seems to think that in fact went without saying.

"No, I mean, that's all right, I wouldn't expect him not to tell his Companion things." Vanyel seems very distracted. He nods to Lancir, not quite meeting his eyes. "Thank you for apologizing. Bella, I, um... Can I have ten minutes to think and then, um, speak with you privately?" 

Sure. Do you want me to wait here?

"I can come find you at your guest room if that's better for you, but waiting here would be fine." 

I'll be here.

She sits.

Vanyel closes his door firmly and locks it and then runs to his room. :'Fandes, can you tell me when it's been five minutes, please?: 

He's going to hide under his covers and cry for exactly five minutes, and then there should still be enough minutes afterward that Bella shouldn't be able to tell if he washes his face. He's tested this. Kind of extensively. 

Lancir shuffles his feet. "Should I go? I've got another meeting in half a candlemark anyway. Um, I will think about what you said." 

I appreciate that. This isn't a therapy session you have coming up, is it?

"No, er, this one is supposed to be telling Queen Elspeth all the interesting things I learned about your magic." He sighs. "Instead I suppose I'll be telling her how we possibly need to rehaul our entire system and you think I'm bad at my job." 

I hope that goes over all right.

He shrugs. "It'll be fine, I think. Elspeth and I go way back. Just want to make sure I explain your philosophy right and don't miss any important pieces. I suppose she may want to talk to you later, if you're up for that." 

That should be all right - probably - I have some lingering anxiety about royalty from my home plane but hopefully she's not the execution-happy kind of queen.

"Hmm. I don't think you need to worry about that. There have been executions in her reign, but rarely, and we do have a justice system that it goes through. You seem careful and ethical and very much not like someone who's going to break our Laws accidentally or on purpose." 

He turns to go.