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"Yes, I was indeed overseeing the temple," said Korak, and fell silent. He had been waiting for quite some time for the opportunity to see the Princess, and now he found he had nothing to say to her. He struggled for words. It would be easy to run into a long train of conversation that amounted to nothing, but he suddenly felt cautious. Perhaps he had a suspicion that Lady Arshalous was still near. Perhaps he had a suspicion that the Princess would report whatever he said to her father. Whatever it was, he felt that he must choose his words carefully. He wouldn't want to say anything that would put him in a dangerous position.
"I still am overseeing the temple," he went on, trying to sound smooth, and not strained as he felt, "though I intend to leave before too long, and return to my mother. She grows lonely when she is left all alone." He wondered if she were laughing at this strange sympathy for his mother, and he also wondered if he did not actually harbour some feelings for his mother that did not like him to leave her alone for very long. He coughed, and went on.
"It looks to be a magnificent achievement, do you not think?" A thought occurred to him... what if the Princess was opposed to the building of the temple? He would refrain from showing any triumph over the fact that it was being built. And so he could think of nothing to say. He fell into silence. It was terribly awkward, this business of pretending love. He could think of nothing to say.
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