The Strangers in the Palace (Closed)(Fantasy)

Ari smiled again. "Sure." he replied. "I'll be there in a bit, just give me some time to get ready." he was planning on bringing Honey some food; he knew the young man had said he wasn't hungry, but he wanted to bring him some food anyways, just in case. Once Honey had left his room, he headed into the bathroom to bathe, stripping out of the clothes he had borrowed, which he figured he would return at some point soon. He was glad to take a shower, carefully working his fingers through his hair in order to untangle his curls.

"It's alright, Ophia." he said as he took the tea, taking a small sip and giving the older woman another soft, quick smile. "Thank you, love." he said to Arquis, shifting just a little so that there was more room for his lover on the armchair. It was a bit of a tight squeeze, but Rin didn't mind being pressed up close to his lover like this.

Honey went to his room and unlocked the door. Inside, everything was just as they'd left it. He sighed, turned on the lights, and scanned for a place to get started. There was a bin in the corner of the bathroom. He took it out and put it in the center of the room. Then, he picked up overturned palettes, stepped-on cotton balls, nail polish bottle shards, splinters of eyeliner pencils, dried mascara tubes, and a snapped nail file. All of those items went straight into the trash. There was nothing that could be done to save them. One or two palettes had landed right side up and were fine, so he stacked them on his vanity. Some tubes of lipstick and gloss had also ended up scattered about but not destroyed. They went into a still-intact vase.

Arquis smiled in response and lifted his own teacup to his lips. The beverage was hot and spiced, perfect for a rainy morning. He swallowed a piping mouthful before setting it back on the saucer and placing it aside.

Ophia returned to her crocheting. It was probably due to the rain, but there weren't any patients scheduled that day. She was expecting one or two pop-ins. If none came by, then she supposed she could have the afternoon and evening to herself. Maybe Honey would come by. She really wanted to check in on him, after what had happened the previous night.

Ari took a bit to ensure he had worked shampoo and conditioner through his curls, along with soaping his skin to clean off his body as well. Once he was out of the shower, he used a bit of hair cream and worked it through his hair, gently working his fingers through the curls to ensure each one had some of the cream on it. His curls were long enough and curly enough that they required a bit more care and upkeep than straight hair, and he made sure to take care of them. If he did not, they got frizzy and greasy and tangled and looked bad.

Rin leaned against Arquis, sipping at his tea. He closed his eyes, letting out a faint, sleepy hum. It was peaceful in here. Cozy, even. With the sound of the fire and the pattering of the rain, he could almost drift back to sleep again. Not that they were going to, it was only that they could.

After Honey was done sorting through the makeup, he dampened a rag from the bathroom and went to the wall. The nail polish stains on it weren't going to come off with water, no matter how hard he scrubbed, but he could wipe away some of the powder clinging to its surface. There was also a smudge of eyeliner that was relatively easy to clean. He did what he could before placing the rag on his vanity.

Next was his books. Luckily, it seemed that Myr had left most intact. It took a lot of time and effort to rip entire sections out, so many were just missing a couple pages. He went through and taped non-crumpled pages back in, then arranged them on his shelves. Some were library books, so he'd have to pay fines for those, but that was alright. At least none of the spines were torn or split. He looked them over once more to ensure they were all in their place.

Arquis smiled softly when he saw that his partner's eyes were closed. He leaned in and very sweetly brushed his lips over his brow. Just as gently, he kissed each of their cheeks. His heart felt light with love, and his head swam pleasantly, like he'd had a small amount of sparkling cider.

"Oh, love, I adore you," he whispered. Ophia overheard and hid a grin.

Ari finished with his hair, and got dressed. Once he was dressed, he headed down to the dining room to get some breakfast so he could eat, and he was going to take some to Honey, too. He knew the young man had said he didn't want any, but Ari didn't want him to go hungry. He sat down in the dining room with his food and some coffee, and began to eat.

Rin smiled softly, keeping his eyes closed. "Love you too." he whispered, staying snuggled close to his partner. He sipped at his tea again, not yet taking a bite of the food that Arquis had given him.

Honey began to clean his art next. The drawing on his bed with his eye burnt out was still eerie to look at, even in the light of day. He trashed it quickly. It seemed he'd have to get a new comforter and maybe even a mattress, too, but that would come later. He picked up scraps of torn sketch pad paper and wadded them into a massive ball to throw out. Myr had really demolished his artwork. Maybe it'd struck a nerve, the thought that Honey had actual talent and hobbies. He'd always wanted the blond to be his little, pretty doll, too scared to make a move against him. Obedient, even if it meant his death. He was glad that Rin and Arquis had found out, though it was still painful and embarrassing.

Arquis noticed that he hadn't eat anything. Worry surged within, and he gently petted through their hair. His selfish fear from a while back overtook him. By being with his partner, was he making them bad, too? Had he made him insecure about their body? He really hoped that wasn't the case. It was possible that they just weren't that hungry, but he didn't think that was possible. Rin hadn't eaten much the day before, just breakfast and toast, if memory served. Surely they'd be famished by now. Was their illness returning? He supposed there would be no better place to treat it than a healer's house.

He hummed quietly, deciding to get to the bottom of it all. "Not hungry, love?"

Once Ari finished his breakfast, he took a plate with some pastries and some little breakfast sandwiches, along with a mug of coffee, and some little containers of cream and sugar. He jsut hoped Honey liked coffee. He made his way to Honey's room, and knocked on the door. He didn't want to come in without permission, so he just stood outside and waited to see if Honey would answer. If Honey would let him in.

Rin opened his eyes sleepily. "Hm? Oh. I'll eat it soon." he replied. "'m just tired right now." he gave their partner a quick, gentle, soft little smile. "There's nothing wrong, love." he nestled his head on Arquis's shoulder again, their eyes closing again.

Honey stood as soon as he heard the knock and walked over. While the door was swinging open, he had a brief flash of panic, wondering what to do if it was Myr. When he saw Ari, he relaxed visibly. A charming smile formed on his lips, and he spread his arms wide.

"Welcome in, welcome in," he said cheerfully, as if he hadn't spent the last half hour or so throwing away prized possessions. His dimples were showing. "Brought breakfast? Stranger, there's no rush. You could've eaten in the dining hall."

Arquis was still worried, but then, he always was. He kissed his lover between the brows and held them close. With his free arm—the one that wasn't around their shoulders—he reached for his tea and took a sip. The rich, aromatic nature of it soothed him greatly. Ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. He wished they'd make more gingerbread at the Palace, but it was generally considered unrefined. Something silly for children. Not as professional as other candies, like toffees and lavender honey drops.

"Alright," he whispered, nuzzling his neck. Ophia shifted slightly, turning her body and crocheting in the other direction. She didn't want to watch this slightly private moment.

Ari gave him a soft smile. "This is for you. I already had breakfast." he replied. "Where would you like me to put it?" he was still carrying the plate and mug, and he didn't want to just set them down somewhere Honey might not want him to put them. So he decided to just err on the side of cautioun and ask where Honey wanted them to go.

Rin hummed very faintly, grateful for the kiss. "Love you, Arquis." he whispered, taking a sip of his own tea. He really was just drowsy this morning; maybe it was the weather, maybe it was something else. He wasn't sure. He was just tired and sleepy, and it was fine.

Honey's eyes widened, and he blushed. This was an unusual experience for him. Men didn't really do the whole morning after thing. If they let him stay the night, then they'd kick him out early. He wasn't sure he'd ever had someone bring him breakfast. It was sweet. Ari was sweet.

"Well, aren't you just a charmer," he mumbled, grinning from ear-to-ear. Rather than answer, he took the food and coffee from him, placing it on the vanity. Then, he gestured broadly at the room.

"It's a work in progress. I think I'm gonna start going through outfits soon. See what I can keep and what needs to be thrown."

Arquis placed his hand on their side comfortingly. "Do you need some more rest? You seem rather weary, and I know last night was not easy for you. Nobody would mind if you returned to bed for a bit."

Ari smiled at him. "What would you like me to do to help you, then?" he asked, putting his hands on his hips and looking around the room. "I can pick things up, organize them into piles…what would you like me to do?" he ran a hand through his still damp curls, gaze moving back to Honey. "I would like to help, if you're alright with that."

"Mmph. No. 'm okay." he replied. "'m just tired. Just give me some time to wake up a bit, 'n I'll be okay." his voice was still soft and hazy and sleepy. "Promise." he smiled gently, still snuggled close to his partner. "Love you a lot, and I'd tell you if I wasn't okay."

"Uh, well, you can just help me sort through stuff, I guess. Here, let me drag all this shit outta the wardrobe, and we can sit on the floor. Go ahead and make yourself comfy."

He quickly crossed to the wardrobe, gathered a bunch of clothes into his arms, and stumbled to the middle of the room. They all fell into a heap on the ground. He dropped with them and crossed his legs. His eyes swept over the pile as he decided what to look at first. There were a lot of, well, embarrassing items in there. Things he kind of wished Ari didn't have to see. But it was too late for that now. He picked up a very sheer, short nightgown with lace straps and frowned. The entire back was split in half. If the material wasn't so thin, he might've been able to have someone sew it. He put it in a pile to toss and held out a plain sweater to Ari to observe.

"If you are certain," Arquis murmured. "And I love you as well, my heart. So, so terribly much."

The marriage plan suddenly resurfaced in his mind, and he could imagine himself on an altar with them. Him in a gorgeous gown, them in whatever he chose to wear. A tuxedo or a dress or a skirt. Smiling in that way that they did, holding him just like this. Damn it all, he wanted to marry Rin. He wanted to sweep them into a honeymoon suite and lock the door, to shower him in worship and praise and love. And he wanted to forget completely about the Palace and the stresses of his previous life.

He sat down on th floor, taking the sweater and examining it carefully. There were a few little burn marks at the bottom, but had otherwise managed to escape relatively unscathed. "This is only a little singed at the bottom. Do you want to keep it?" he asked, holding it up to Honey so that the blond could examine it for himself. "Or do you want me to put it aside elsewhere?" he didn't quite know what Honey wanted him to do, so he would wait for directions from the blond.

Rin smiled again, soft and sweet. They remained curled by Arquis's side, head resting on his shoulder. "Good." he said softly, letting out a quiet, faint little hum.

Honey glanced over. "If it's not completely ruined or, like, unwearable, then you can put it in the keep pile. Uh, here," he cleared out a space with his arm, "put it here. But if you see something that's pretty messed up, throw it with that nightgown, and I'll take it to be tossed later."

He picked up a pair of shorts and scanned it. The back pocket had been torn, but he could get that fixed. The zipper still worked, and there didn't seem to be any holes or anything. He folded the pair, set them aside, and picked up another item. This time, it was something risqué. Light pink stockings with a garter and a bow on each hip. He coughed awkwardly as he looked them over. Myr had ripped massive holes into them and burnt the right bow. He wasn't exactly sad to see them go. He had better nightclothes.

Arquis eventually ended up closing his eyes as well, and his head tipped against the back of the armchair. In his mind, he kept replaying that scene with Myr standing outside, saying something to Ophia. He didn't understand it. There was just no way Myr and Muria could've ever met. Muria was prideful enough that she'd never speak with someone like him. Not because he was morally bankrupt, but because he didn't seem of great wealth or status. She preferred to negotiate with upper class, elegant criminals, or so he'd thought. He couldn't wrap his mind around that comment. Maybe he really was overthinking it, and he'd been making a jab about Ophia being Honey's mother or something. The man had probably been delirious due to pain.

"What do you think will happen to him?" Arquis asked softly. "Myr, I mean."

Ari nodded faintly, and then continued to go through the stacks, carefully sorting damaged from undamaged. He didn't say anything abut the different clothing, about the various nightclothes that he discovered. He did not want to embarrass Honey, and he knew any remarks about it would embarrass the young man, and he did not want that to happen.

Rin sighed faintly as he thought about the question. "I don't know." he replied in a quiet tone. "I…I hope he just dies, but I don't know for sure. Maybe someone will save him, maybe they won't. I just…I just hope that he stays away from Honey and the hotel." he knew it would devastate Honey if Myr came back again, no matter the reason.

"It's not all mine," Honey muttered after a while of sitting in silence. The tips of his ears were red, and he refused to look at Ari. "I mean, it is. Like, I own it. But I didn't buy it all. A lot of the guys chose it for me."

As if that made it any better. He'd kept it all, hadn't he? And he could remember nights in his room by himself, admiring his reflection as he stroked over ruffles and fixed straps. He was vain, just like everyone had said. Prancing around in leather, flirting with strangers, playing the game. He liked the way he'd dressed. Hadn't he? Nothing felt certain anymore. How much of his wardrobe was himself? Was there any of his true self left? Had all of Henri turned into Honey? That's what he'd implied the other night, but the truth of it made his mouth taste like metal.

"Well, it's not as if they—Pretty, I guess—severed his whole hand or arm," Ophia responded, deep in thought. "You're likely right. If he managed to stop the bleeding and got to another doctor before infection set in, then he'll probably live. Not that he deserves it, of course. I'd love someone to find his body in a gutter. But I have a feeling that he'll end up just fine. People like that are usually more lucky than they have any right being, while the good ones get the worst cards."

Arquis took another sip of tea. "There is no way to get him arrested for what he has done?"

"Definitely not." Ophia gave him a slightly pitying smile, as if she thought he was naive. "How do I put this nicely? Those in charge don't usually believe people like Honey, and even if they did, they wouldn't do anything to help him. The people in charge of this village want The Cecilia Rouge gone. They'd actually probably side with the bastard, claiming Honey owes him for his injury."

Ari nodded a little. "I'm not, ah, judging you for it, Honey. Even if you like it, dressing up in them…it's not something I'd judge you for. There are worse things to like then wearing cute or sexy lingerie." he replied, giving the blond another quick little smile, before going back to the clothing. "Alright? Please believe me on that. I am not going to judge you for the clothes you own, whether or not you bought them or someone else did."

Rin exhaled. "Shitty bastards." he remarked, opening his eyes to look over at Ophia, his brows gathering together a little. "This country is such a…a terrible place for anyone who isn't…" he trailed off, their mouth pulled down into a frown. "For anyone who is different." he looked up at his partner for a moment. "Sorry, darling, but…but I'm right. Anvillea is…"

"I don't know if I like it." Honey groaned and buried his head in the crook of his arm. He didn't feel like looking at the clothes any longer. They symbolized his life too well. Fake and pretty and perfect and torn to shreds by a man who didn't know Honey's real name, a man who'd pressed his burning fingers into the blond's skin like he was stubbing out a cigarette.

"I wish you hadn't been with me when we came here last night. I wished he'd been here instead, and he'd just done what he'd wanted, and then it'd be over with. I can't stop thinking about him. I don't feel safe. Here, or anywhere. We don't know what happened to him. He could be coming back right now. I shouldn't have made him mad."

"Anvillea is awful," Arquis said softly, finishing the thought. Without thinking, he wrung his hands together, feeling the ridges of his scars under his gloves. His eyes watered. He'd known it for years already, but saying it aloud almost hurt. It was as if he was betraying his home, though Anvillea had never really been home to him. Homes were supposed to be safe and comfortable. He'd lived nearly his whole life in fear.

"I would leave if I could. Just pack my bags and run as far away as possible. But even this trip of ours is temporary. I was always meant to return to the Palace."

"Is it really true what they say about your father?" Ophia asked, then flushed. "That he was murdered by your aunt."

"He was murdered, yes," Arquis whispered. His grip grew tighter on the armrests. Aurisi's blue eyes flashed in his memory, and the nobleman shuddered.

Ari listened, looking over at Honey. "He won't come back. And if he does, then we're going to get Pretty or someone to help." he replied. "You don't deserve to be hurt, and I, for one, am glad you weren't here when he did this. That you didn't have to be hurt by him again, that we got to have a good time on our date yesterday." his voice was soft, but firm. "Remember? Yesterday, we went out together, and we had fun. We had a date, Honey. Where we didn't get hurt, and nothing beyond a storm went wrong."

Rin kissed Arquis's cheek gently, taking a deep breath. "I am sorry, darling." he whispered. He looked over at Ophia, but didn't say anything about it. He didn't know the story of what had happened, and he wasn't about to interject himself into the conversation about it.

"Of course I remember. You were a perfect gentleman, and I loved every minute of it. Except the part with the waiter. And the family by the fountain. And the storm. Well, actually, I kinda liked that part, 'cause it meant I got to do your hair, which meant that you got super close to me, and, uh, I should stop talking."

It was good he'd managed to stop himself. He'd been about to ramble about how gorgeous Ari's eyes were and how great he'd smelled. Which was weird. Very weird.

Arquis pulled Rin closer and nestled his head in the slope of his shoulder. Every time he thought about what had happened to Aurisi, he felt sick and clammy. Neither his father nor his aunt had ever been particularly nice to him, yet the fate that befell them was just ghastly.

Ophia set down her crocheting hook. "May I ask why?"

"You may not," he snapped. His temper cooled quickly, and he blushed, embarrassed at how fast he'd lost his head. "My apologies. It is just a sensitive matter."

"Yes." Ari replied softly, shifting closer to Honey. "And, ah, what do you think would have happened if you had stayed here?" he asked, voice quiet. "We wouldn't have been able to have all those lovely times. You would have been here. Myr would have done terrible things to you, none of which you could ever, ever deserve, in any lifetime." he reached out to gently take Honey's hand.

Rin reached out to gently squeeze Arquis's hand. "Perhaps we had best find a different topic. This one does not seem to be a good one for anyone involved." he said softly, trying to keep the peace and trying to keep anyone from getting angry. "I, ah, don't think this is going to be a good or helpful discussion for us all to have right now." he cleared his throat softly.

Honey's face scrunched up like he was trying not to cry, and he slumped over, defeated. A tidal wave of memories crashed into him. Things that made him want to crawl under his bed and itch at his skin until it stung. Myr had never really been gentle. He lowered himself down until his head was resting on Ari's knee.

"He's done a lot of terrible things already," he whispered. The burn on his side seemed to flare up, and he winced into Ari's leg. "Not sure how long he would've kept coming, honestly. He was into the younger sort."

Arquis nodded and tugged at his collar. Even though it was still raining, he needed air. He gratefully kissed his partner on the brow, glad that they'd tried to change the subject, and stood. Ophia gave him an apology as he passed, but he sort of ignored it. Only sort of. This was her house, after all. He opened the door and ducked out onto the porch, shoving his hands into his pocket. The cool, crisp morning air was just what he needed to clear his head.

Inside, Ophia coughed awkwardly. "I didn't mean to rile him up. You just get curious, with men like him, you know? The really wealthy.”

Ari nodded a little. "Yeah." he hated that comment. Hated all of it, really, but there was nothing he could do about it, at ths point. "But now he's gone for good, Honey. Do you understand that? He isn't going to come back, and if he does, Pretty or someone else will take care of him. Make him leave. But he's never going to hurt you again, even if, ah…even if you're too old for him." which was a sentence that made him want to gag. Honey was still very young. So was Ari, really. So if Honey was "too old" now…gods, it was terrible to think about.

Rin took a sip of his tea, nodding a little. "I get it. But he's…he's complicated." he finally said with a wry smile. "So can we…not talk about his family anymore? There are a lot of issues, and I don't think we want to get into any of it right now." they ran a hand through their hair, sighign very quietly. This was all just so tiring to deal with, really, and he didn't want to get stressed out because of it all.

Honey nodded slowly, cheek still pressed against Ari's leg. He hadn't even been eighteen when Myr had first started to come around. Just a child. Not naive or innocent, exactly, but still blind to a lot of the cruelty in the world. He'd thought the inn was funny at first, maybe even a bit cute. That opinion had rapidly changed.

"I'm trying to understand it. I just can't really imagine a world without him and the rest of the guys, y'know? It's been years. I've gotten so used to it all. I'm scared there isn't much of me left that's not… that's not made to serve them."

Ophia adjusted her glasses and hummed worriedly. "I know, I'm sorry. I should never have let my curiosity get the best of me like that. He's just as human as the rest of us. But being raised in an environment like that really can't be good for someone. I imagine it's a lot of stress, and, oh, goodness. There I go again. You know what? It might be best for me to go to my room. You two can have some time to recover from my careless remarks."

She stood, clutching her crochet project to her chest, and hurried off to her bedroom. Just to be safe, she shut the door behind her.

Ari gently ran his fingers through Honey's hair, looking down at the young man. "I know." he said in a quiet tone. "But, ah…there is plenty left, Honey. You may need to take some time to discover just what and who you are without them, but you will discover it all. You will figure out what you can do without them." hs voice was firm, and yet still gentle.

Rin let out a breath. "I, ah…we'll see you later, then." he said as Ophia left the room. He sat alone for a few minutes, sipping his tea and nibbling at his breakfast as he waited to see if Arquis would come back in. He didn't want to bother their partner by going outside to bring him back in, and they knew that Arquis wanted some space to calm down and think.

Honey turned his face in towards their thigh. His lips brushed Ari's calf as he spoke. "Yeah. Guess I gotta try to do that now that the kid's coming, huh? Need to be a role model for them, and I can't do that if I wear stuff like," his hand fumbled in the clothes pile until he snatched a piece of lingerie, "this. Not around the house. Don't want them to learn about that stuff young. Not like I had to."

He really was excited that Lovey was having a kid, but it did make him nervous. He wasn't exactly sure how to take care of an infant. He'd had some practice with children when he was younger after being briefly placed in an orphanage, but that wasn't the same. None of them were Lovey's child, after all.

Arquis stayed out on the porch for a while. The weather was really nice. He lost himself in it, breathing in the brisk air and letting gentle rain mist his skin. When he finally came back to himself, he remembered that Rin was still inside, and he headed in. There was an unusual calm to him as he approached the armchair. He didn't sit.

"Love, there is a lot that we need to talk about," he began carefully, kneeling and folding his arms on the edge of the chair. His gray-blue eyes were dark. "Not right now. But very soon."

"You can wear it if you want to, but, ah, yes, perhaps not in front of a child." he replied, still gently running his fingers through Honey's hair. "You're going to be a wonderful uncle, Honey. The kid is going to love you." his voice was soft and gentle and confident. He knew that Honey would be an amazing uncle, just by the way Honey was already so excited about the kid's arrival, when it was still months away.

Rin looked up at him, blinking, and a little confused, too. "Ah…about what?" he asked slowly, reaching up to rest his hands on Arquis's shoulders. "Is everything alright?" was this about the things that Ophia had been asking about? He almost hoped not. That seemed like a difficult subject, and he didn't want to overwhelm Arquis with such a topic.

Honey barked out a laugh. "I didn't mean that I'd wear it in front of the kid!" He was grinning now, though there was a hint of embarrassment dancing in his brown eyes. His expression softened. "I hope that I am. I really, really hope so. There's a lotta bad in the world, and the kid's gonna have to see some of it. That's just how life works. But if I can protect them from the stuff that I went through growing up—if they know that they've got a home that's clean and safe and a family that'll take care of them—then I'll have done well."

Arquis let out a sigh and turned to kiss their left wrist. "What happened to my family. Aurisi, specifically. I have avoided that conversation for far too long. It is a very unpleasant one, and I would rather not have it at all. Yet I would rather you hear the full story from me than someone else. It will undoubtedly change your opinion on a lot of matters. Myself, especially."

They'd been together for over two weeks, and if they did decide to follow the plan, then Rin needed to know the truth of the man he was marrying. It wasn't fair to keep him in the dark. Even if it resulted in their breakup, the bard deserved to know what had happened.

Ari smiled, nodding. "Yeah. As long as they are loved and they know that, then they'll be okay." he replied, voice gentle and soft and sweet. "It's all that is really needed. Love and safety and a place to put their head at night." he kept gently running his fingers through Honey's hair. "I promise that you are going to be a wonderful uncle, and they have two wonderful mothers, as well. They will be well-loved and safe, Honey, and you need to think about yourself, too, not just the baby."

Rin took a deep breath, and nodded a little. "Alright. We can have that conversation, ah, later, then." they said, soft and gentle. "I know that it's going to be a difficult one, and I don't think we should have it here. We can have it back at the inn, later tonight." he ran a hand through Arquis's dark hair, soft and gentle.

(how much longer were we thinking they were gonna be at the inn for? I know we talked about it but I can't remember what we said)

"Love and safety," Honey repeated quietly. He'd been given plenty of love growing up. First his older sister, and then Lovey, who'd never left his side. Sugar, too, in her own way. But safety had never really been part of his reality. He'd risked his life every time he'd gone into a stranger's room. He was constantly in danger. The events of the past few days had proven that much.

"I'm okay, stranger. Really, I am. I've been strong for the past, what, twenty years? I'll be just fine."

Nausea surged within Arquis. Even though he knew the conversation was important, and had been the one to suggest it in the first place, he kind of wished it would just be done with already. He didn't want to watch their opinion of him sour before his very eyes; didn't want to see him grow cold and repulsed. But he would have to. He nodded and swallowed down the bad taste in his mouth.

"Yes, this is not the place for it. I would rather have that talk in private. Just in case I, ah, have an adverse reaction, as I have in the past."

Though maybe, he thought grimly, it would be nice to have a doctor around if he fainted. Not that such a thing was possible. He'd never trust Ophia, someone he barely knew, with his family's secrets. She didn't exactly seem like a gossip mill, but this was an extremely private matter.