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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Cerebral Paladin" data-source="post: 3159740" data-attributes="member: 3448">As the dessert finished, Alistair rose and offered his arm to Kaitlyn.  He put on a show of his most charming behavior, and he could be charming, indeed.  Kit could tell from Kaitlyn’s thoughts that she was still not actually interested, but Kaitlyn did a good job of faking interest and edged ever closer to Alistair as they left the room arm in arm.<<Ugh.>> thought Kit.Dame Brionna ignored her distaste, aware that nothing she could say would help.  “All right, time to slip through the corridors,” she said as Kit emerged through a secret door.“Right.”“You know, she could definitely make up for Alistair's weak points in the next generation - looking at the handclasp.”Kit chuckled.“I mean, at least, if she has common sense.”“It sounds like she does.”The two of them passed through a secret passageway and entered a tunnel running along the map room, where they could hear Alistair and Kaitlyn engaged in quiet conversation.  When Mahler saw that they were heading off to spy on Alistair’s private flirting, he turned quickly away.  He wandered off to a quiet, private spot within Alistair’s chambers and began flipping through the detailed maps that Kaitlyn had given the Archduchy.  As promised, the maps were detailed indeed.  They included political and topographical maps, and even specialized charts such as water tables.  They also carefully depicted the southern coastline, noting all of the useful harbors, including both the port cities that fell to the skaven and other harbors that had never been developed into trading ports.Alistair and Kaitlyn devoted their time in the map room to practical pursuits.  They discussed troop dispositions and strategy, each praising the other’s acumen, and continued to speak of duty.  The conversation was heavy and somewhat morose, but they felt a shared sense of the burdens that they each had.  They also each sent as clear signals of interest as they could without being too forward, and as the discussion wore on, the degree to which Alistair fooled Kaitlyn into thinking that he was interested in her as more than a political marriage was only matched by the degree to which she fooled him.As the discussions of battle strategies and duty continued, Dame Brionna thought to Kit, <<Wow.  I thought only Knights of Valor flirted like this.>><<Heh.  Well, I can't call this romantic, but you know, that's all right. She just wants to do this for her kingdom and her duty. She's fine if he has someone on the side. Doesn't know about me, though.>><<Hey, compared to Look, compared to Crazy Hanalian and Rat-Girl?>><><<She's been through a lot!>> replied Dame Brionna, a touch defensively.<<Oh, I know that.>>Kit concentrated on the conversation between Alistair and Kaitlyn.  Knowing that the visit was coming to an end, Alistair was again as charming as possible, while correctly deciding that a fairly formal and polite approach would elicit the best response.  Kit giggled<<Why are you laughing?>><<She just thought, “He isn't as awful as I had heard! I might be able to live with this.”>><<Oh dear. What stories are being spread?>><><<Do. We need him to have a good reputation.>><<She just thought, “Maybe they were lying about him.”>><<Huh. Based on that, we need to research her advisors.>><lot to combat here,>> replied Kit.  <<But believe me, I'm trying.>>After the perfectly appropriate time for a private visit between two unmarried royals, Kaitlyn straightened from the maps.  “Thank you, your grace, for a lovely evening and for honoring my people and myself with this invitation.”Alistair stared into her eyes as he responded.  “The pleasure and honor was all ours, your highness.”  He kissed her hand again, but this time with a certain amount of hesitancy, apparently from nervousness.  “I hope that we will be able to see each other again soon, and I wait eagerly for that hour.”“Thank you, your grace.  I am certain that we will.”Alistair escorted the Princess to the doors of his apartment, and she gave his arm a tiny squeeze just before he left.  As the doors closed, Alistair was positive that the Princess was falling for him, although Kit knew that it was just a show.  But Kaitlyn was equally fooled.</blockquote>

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