[ Nina laughs. ]

Oh, Saints, don't do that. He'd enjoy it too much. He's been positively despondent over not being able to "gain permission." [ An elaborate eye roll. ] We're skipping too many proper Fjerdan steps.

[ And his smile does not meet his eyes. Nina doesn't think that Balthier's flirting had been any more than that; this isn't disappointment. It's something else. She doesn't want to presume about what it is, but she could hazard a very steady guess. It's not easy to be alone. ]