“She does not precisely confide in me, so I can only judge by what I see and sense, based on what I know. I have never been in love myself,” he added, somewhat wistfully, “so all I can do is guess. But as for why it will break her—it is precisely because she has been through so much in this last year. I believe that she sees Prince Karath as—as a sort of lifeline.”

“I think—maybe—it’s because he’s an outsider,” Myste put in. “I mean, she thinks she can’t unburden herself to the rest of us, because we’re a part of that burden. And anyway, he’s made himself indispensable now. If she loses him, it will be that proverbial last pebble that starts the avalanche. Maybe he’s only a pebble, but sometimes that’s all it takes.”

“Think about it, think back to how you felt with your first loves, not what you know now. The first time a youngster falls in love, there’s no way to tell the difference between love and infatuation from the inside,” Ylsa added sadly. “So as far as Selenay and this situation are concerned, right now, the difference is negligible.”

“You mean, we treat it as love even though it might be—is probably—infatuation.” Kyril looked pained. “But—”

“Remember what I told you about supporting her,” Talamir warned.

“But if she goes on like this, overruling everything before anyone even has a chance to object—” began Elcarth. But both Talamir and Alberich were shaking their heads. Talamir gestured to Alberich.

“I think she will not, for there is no fear there for her,” Alberich said. “Such things do not rouse her passion or her fear, for they do not affect her love.”

“Precisely.” Talamir nodded. “Why should she be afraid about a matter of budget, or of setting a law? None of this is going to wrench her love out of her arms. We should be far more concerned that she stops caring about these things, frankly.”

“Actually,” Jadus spoke up, making everyone turn to look at him, “I think the best thing we could do is get this wedding over and done with, if it could be done tomorrow, I’d say to do it.”

“Because—” Alberich said slowly, feeling his way toward the words, “—if mere infatuation it is, the sooner reality comes, the better. So—let the Prince but think he has her, then revert to whatever his true self is, he will.”

Just as that stranger with Norris said. He is not bright enough to make up his own speeches. When he has her, his control over himself will lapse.

“Something like that,” Jadus agreed. “And when she has him, she won’t fear she’ll lose him anymore, so whether it’s love or infatuation, she’ll start thinking again instead of reacting with her emotions.”