“Dear Bade and I just had the most mouth-wateringly delicious meal at Kapi’s,” Anosanim said, settling himself gracefully as Talin sat across from them. He continued to chatter, his voice lingering on phrases like “positively succulent” and “decadently flavorful.”
Dear Bade, meanwhile, looked tired. Not bored; he was attentive, and didn’t seem unhappy. But there were faint lines under his eyes, and his movements lacked energy. Talin wondered what he’d been through, besides more sex than sleep last night. Maybe lunch with Anosanim had worn him out. Anosanim’s good moods could be draining on anyone not accustomed to them, and this current good mood seemed directly related to Bade himself, which - - figuring it out, Talin waited for a pause in conversation, then asked, “You interrogated him, didn’t you?”
“What?” Anosanim asked, surprised. Realizing what Talin meant, he gasped, affronted. “Nisutalin, I did no such thing! Dear Bade and I had a perfectly lovely conversation!”
“About what?” Talin asked. “Bade? His intentions? His feelings?”
“Of course, some of those topics came up, naturally,” Anosanim said, “but I certainly wouldn’t interrogate an honored guest. Really, Talin!” Smoothing his skirts, he gave Talin a displeased look. “Orinakin’s never been in love before, and it’s only to be expected that I would want to get to know Bade better.”
“Their relationship is their business,” Talin pointed out.
“Of course it is,” Anosanim protested. “I wouldn’t dream of interfering. But I do feel compelled to look out for them. Without Sadum or Anosadum or even Sanuk here to speak with Bade, I felt that it was my duty to do so on their behalf.”
“How noble of you,” Talin said dryly.
“We had a perfectly charming lunch,” Anosanim said. “Didn’t we?” he prompted.
“Yes, we did,” Bade said. “Thank you for inviting me.”
Casting Talin a satisfied look, Anosanim gave his skirt a quick shake and sat back, relaxed.
Talin couldn’t resist. “Would you say that the barrage of questions was constant or just insistent?”
While Anosanim gasped at him, Bade turned red and admitted, “There was a steady stream of them. But they didn’t seem at all ill-natured,” he was quick to add reassuringly. “I know that you’re looking out for Orinakin, and you’ve been very kind.”
“Oh, Bade,” Anosanim said, horrified, one hand on Bade’s arm, the other pressed to his own chest. “I’m dreadfully sorry! How genuinely terrible of me! I didn’t mean to intrude on your personal affairs!”
“I wish that I’d been better prepared, but I wasn’t offended. You have nothing to apologize for,” he said, patting Anosanim’s hand as he might a woman’s. “I enjoy your company.”
“An interrogation was the farthest thing from my mind,” Anosanim said. “It’s simply that Orinakin’s never been in love before, and-”
“And since Bade came here to marry Kudorin and ended up with Orinakin, you want to know what he’s up to,” Talin said reasonably.
Bade turned bright red, and Anosanim swatted at Talin’s knees. “Nisutalin A Lini, how dare you suggest that there’s anything remotely untoward about Bade’s behavior! Our dear Bade has suffered untold agonies worrying about his fate, and it isn’t your place to disparage him for his choices! If Kudorin and Orinakin are happy with the outcome, and remain on excellent terms with Bade and each other, then you certainly-”
Having succeeded in distracting Anosanim from the subject of Hitari for the length of the ride, Talin said, “I’ll join you for dinner tonight,” as the carriage stopped outside the Royal House of Art. “Good to see you,” he told Bade, pushing open the carriage door.
