"All right. The palace is - okay. Pretty."

"Shara's party's going to be in four days to allow time to invite a few hundred stuffy pennons and other important personages and if I should happen to faint dead away when I see her in that dress they've got socked away for the occasion please claim that I had been neglecting to drink enough water to all witnesses," sighs Kayam.

Adarin's confused. "... Why would you faint upon seeing her in a dress?"

"Oh, am I that good at being subtle about it now? I am pining for the princess of Casasha who is tragically straight. She knows, but I try not to make it weird, I do want to still be best friends regardless."

"Well, you don't have my little anatomy problem, you should just kiss her."

"I - mean um. I don't think she feels the same way, so."

"She likes you and you should kiss her because she's not gonna touch you because you recently had extremely sketchy interpersonal relationships and she thinks you need space, so if you like her, go for it."

"Okay, maybe not completely out of the blue. Get her alone first and tell her you like her and reassure her that the sketchy personal relationship history is not a problem here?"

"That's a better idea."

"And then kiss her. Or, like, tilt your head and lean forward a little and make gooey eye contact, maybe."

Adarin laughs, a little nervously. "I'll - um. Figure it out?"

Kayam looks at him skeptically. "You will, huh? All by yourself."

Zeviana has been trying not to laugh, the entire time. "You're doomed. You're so doomed."

He sighs.

"I don't think he's doomed to anything more than a few awkward moments at the very beginning."

"Fun."

"Can I watch you flail about failing at romancing her?"

"No."

"Yeah, I did say alone, there was a reason."

"Awww. Fine, fine."

"Thank you for not sabotaging milady's love life for your personal amusement."