In Which Sev Is Not To-the-Point

October 16, 1186

Sev was not technically allowed inside Hanna's room. In fact, Sev was not technically allowed inside Hanna's house. Male students, after all, were not allowed inside of female residences--and vice versa.

Technically.

In truth, males and females regularly called at each other's residences, sometimes in full view of secular staff--or even the more lenient of the clergy staff! Landus's sister, the assistant chancellor, had more or less confirmed that the rule was pretty much lip service for overbearing parents and overzealous church higher-ups. Lady Ellona herself had once been mistress to the current king, after all, and Lady Rahileine had once fallen pregnant by a married man; Sev doubted either of them felt right about forcing celibacy on others.

And now that the old duke's 'medical center' was up and running... well, if anyone on campus wanted to minimize their risks, or to take care of themselves in the event of said risks, they were free to do so. The center wouldn't have opened if anyone expected complete and prolonged abstinence. Hanna had been on herbs for a while now. But any carnal activity that happened today would be more or less incidental.

Or non-existent, if things didn't go well. But Sev didn't want to think about that just now. Just ask her. It's frightening, sure--but you'll never know if you don't ask.

"Hanna?"

"Yes?"

Huh. How to start. He'd thought he'd had it all planned out--but now that he was here, his mind was blank. "I... I'm going to be a senior come winter."

"I'm aware." She was a mathematics major. "I'll miss you when you graduate. It's a while off, but I will."

"Yes, well..." Sev swallowed. How to proceed? A gentle touch seemed a good bet; he took her by the shoulders and pulled her close. "Maybe you won't have to miss me long?"

"I do graduate six months later. And you'll visit, right?"

"Of course. But after you graduate... well, I'm going to help my father with the business, right?" It was the longest wait of his life, but she couldn't have wasted more than a second before nodding. "I know how to make good business decisions now, and how to negotiate, how to manage staff and resources."

"Mm-hmm..."

"But I'm not great with the numbers--the books. I mean, I'm all right, but not great. And of everyone else, my father's the best, but he doesn't care for it much. So, would you maybe be interested, if you don't have anything else lined up?"

"It wouldn't be the least agreeable thing I could do with my education." She slipped her own fingers between those of his free hand and squeezed. "Though, I'd probably have to move to Veldorashire."

"Yes, well... maybe you could?" This was it. Thank God. And God damn it. "My father's going to have a house made for me, and it might be a little big for just one person, so... maybe we could live there together?"

She sat up, brow cocked--but her hand remained in his. "Is this a proposal?"

Good thing one of them was to-the-point. "Maybe?"

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