The paladins are SO concerned about how they are going to talk to the locals about how Leareth's Asmodean girlfriend is DEFINITELY bad news.

Right, but getting something wrong about what you tell them about the deal with Cheliax is much worse than just telling them 'well, don't do anything besides building your shrine today, Leareth's taking a nap' - talking to gods can seriously change your brain, everyone knows that, no one's going to think 'wow, he's tired just from HAVING GOTTEN A MULTI-SENTENCE VISION FROM IOMEDAE' - Nayoki seemed worried about you. Iomedae seemed worried about you.

...Nayoki is still reading Ignasi's mind and she is - all right, she should probably just never ever mention that Carissa staying here at all was her idea in the first place, it seems like then they might just judge HER about it instead and that wouldn't help with anything. She will just wait for them to bring it up first. 

:...I am not sure that I actually conveyed to any of them how I received a multiple-sentence vision from Iomedae? It was not clear to me if She had informed Her people of it, given that they seem to be mistrustful of me because I read as Evil: 

It would be such a relief to have a strategic justification to just rest. Leareth isn't sure if it's correct - he feels like he could probably push through, he's tired and off-balance but he's functional enough - normally he would just ask Nayoki for a second opinion, except that Nayoki is busy and also missing nearly all the context and for some reason the concept of catching her up on said context hurts - 

- actually, maybe the last part is an indication that Carissa is right, here. 

"Nayoki! Leareth got a multiple-sentence vision from Iomedae to kick this whole thing off and he needs to sleep, lotsa people can't even walk after a god talks to them. Tell the paladins he'll talk with them once he's recuperated which will probably be tomorrow. They're going to freak out about me, you can tell them that if it's their professional recommendation Leareth can keep me tied up."

Okay what???? 

"- All right? I can do that?" 

:- Are you all right?: she adds, in private Mindspeech aimed at Carissa only. 

Hmmm? I'm fine, I'm worried about Leareth but I think he just needs some sleep. I'm not thrilled you all are invading my homeland but I'm not under the impression that Aroden and Iomedae are gonna not fight Asmodeus if everyone in Cheliax begs them not to.

:That - what - Aroden...? I thought he was the god who had died?: 

Apparently he's only mostly dead.

:...Oh. I see: She really doesn't. :- The old man?: He certainly had a lot of...presence. Or something. And his mind was incredibly weird, even weirder than Leareth's. 

Yep. Is Leareth going to his room now like he conceded he should.

Leareth does not per se have a room of his own in this facility. He's standing in the doorway waiting for Carissa to be done talking to Nayoki. 

She does not want to leave him standing there. 

I can explain more later, she says to Nayoki, and hurries to join him.

:Where did you want to go: Leareth asks her dully. :I was sleeping in the infirmary before: 

Is there somewhere where you'll feel safe?

:- I am not sure there is literally anywhere in the world where Aroden would not be able to just kidnap us again whenever he feels like it: 

Yeah, probably not. But probably he wouldn't've sent his daughter if he wanted to be able to do that.

Leareth has no idea whether or not that's a thing Aroden would do. How are you supposed to assess the character of a man who used to be a god (who before that used to be an immortal wizard...) 

...Well. Lawful Neutral. That tells him something. Allied with Iomedae - chose Iomedae as His paladin - that says a little more. Which is, of course, contingent on any of Leareth's assessment of Iomedae's character being accurate...

Supposedly prayers only work if you're praying to the right concept for the god in question. So the fact that Leareth's prayer worked is probably evidence that his character assessment of Iomedae is on. But - he only knows that from things Carissa said in the first place... 

He wonders, briefly and very pointlessly, if he would have been able to successfully pray to Asmodeus. Assuming he wanted to in the first place, which he didn't at all, but - still. It's not just that he disagrees with Asmodeus' goals and worldview, here, he's also...still confused... 

- right, Carissa had been asking him a question, hadn't she. 

:We can go to your guest room, if you want? It is nicer than the infirmary: 

Yeah, all right.

And she can find the way to her guest room. Which in fact looks cozy, because while they were waiting for negotiations with the Chelish ambassador she conspired with half of Leareth's staff to get the exact right aesthetic. Rich powerful man who isn't trying very hard - doesn't need to try very hard - but wants the bed comfortable. 

She feels like she lost the script somewhere but that doesn't matter. What matters is that Leareth likes her.

Leareth holds his posture erect and his face impassive while they're in the hallway. He runs into a few of his staff and talks to them briefly in Mindspeech. 

He doesn't let himself relax even slightly until they're in Carissa's room and the door is shut behind them. 

At which point - 

:Damn it: He sags against the closed door. :I wish I - knew - if Aroden shared - my values...: 

- hug. 

What to say to that. 

She puts her arms under his shoulders to support his weight a little. You're so - lonely. 

:Am I? ...Surely I am not any lonelier than you. At least I have had - allies, like Nayoki: 

Belonging to Asmodeus isn't very lonely, it fills you right up. I think belonging to the Star-Eyed would too, if I'd ever gotten the hang of it. 

I guess I might be lonely, now. Not belonging to anyone. Gotta figure out who I want to be allied with. I don't know how you do it. It sounds exhausting.

This is basically a lie; obviously she now belongs to Leareth and they're both instruments of Iomedae, if ones Iomedae is forced to wield at some distance and without much finesse. But Leareth would be upset to hear that, she thinks; it'd glance off the way a lot of things do, too Asmodean for him to notice the ways they're true.

(Leareth is not currently reading her mind; he could if he wanted to, probably, but they're...basically allies now, and so it would be unhelpful to do that without asking. And he's very tired.) 

:I do not thinking belonging to a god is the sort of thing that would make me any less lonely: he says dully. :I - there was a time, once -: 

Leareth breaks off. WHY is he thinking about Urtho again now, he doesn't feel even slightly ready to talk to Carissa about that particular part of his history. 

:...Anyway. About that massage...?: