"I don't know anything about the North," he said seriously. "I do know Cnoch-na-Niall is . . . what's the word?" He brought his hands together in a closed-box gesture. "Kind of closed harbor? Niabheara runs things differently than most ladies."

"I know about the North," Goneril replied. "I've discussed it enough with Faolin to know. They're even more closed off that you are here. They don't even have humans up North. They don't even have southerners."

"They're about to have both," he pointed out. "But you'll be with their Queen. I'm sure she's made some preparations to make sure that no one gets, y'know, stoned to death in the middle of her court."

Goneril grimaced. "She doesn't go out much, either, from what I understand. Faolin does most of the diplomatic work." She bit her lip. "I think Faolin is hoping that everyone will be very forgiving of your sister's eccentricities. And that the two of us won't be leaving his room more than is necessary. Well. That might be what I'm hoping."

He grinned. "You got it bad. It's kind of adorable."

Goneril flushed, and scowled at him. "i'm no worse that you are," she pointed out stubbornly. "There's nothing bad about it."

"I didn't say it was bad; I said you had it bad," he said, teasing. "And I know me'n Elaine are bad. We were probably worse when we got started. Now we sort of keep it off in private so as not to annoy the public."

"We've been keeping it in private as it is," Goneril replied. "We can't...well, we can't be public about it. We didn't really have time to be public about it here. I don't know what it's going to be like when we get there."

"That would be the time to employ my grab-his-ears-and-snog-'im suggestion," he said, waggling his eyebrows. "Nah, don't really. It'll work out. Just don't be nervous," he advised. "And don't get drunk, no matter how good an idea it may seem at the time. And don't do anything you don't really want to do."

"Well, I never drink very much, and I'm running out of things I don't really want to do," Goneril admitted shyly. "Do you remember what I said about lovemaking last time? I take it all back. I didn't know it actually felt like anything."