Oh no. Iomedae in her delight at her own cleverness failed to contemplate that succeeding would take the form of getting scolded. "Yes, sir," she says.

Alfirin giggles when he leaves. "Valentina wants to lecture me. Wanna bet on whether they coordinated to have one person on each of us, or whether we're gonna get any more?"

"...I think they coordinated," says Iomedae consideringly. "I think they had a very panicked emergency meeting about this terrible situation and how best it should be approached and selected people, and if we hear from anyone else it'll be someone who wasn't in the emergency meeting. …I am going to tell Cansellarion we were troublemaking on purpose."

"Of course you are," she says fondly.

"This means you should talk to Valentina first so we can get their reaction when they don't know we are troublemaking on purpose."

"Mm. I suppose I ought to get going, then. Enjoy your adoring crowds."

"What exactly are your intentions toward Iomedae?"

"Pardon me?"

"Iomedae. Freedom. What are your intentions toward her? It's what I'd ask any, erm, young man in my command, who had a sweetheart... I realize you're not in my command, exactly, but I don't know who else would advise you on these matters."

"Are you asking if we're sleeping together?"

"No - Well - I'm asking if you intend to. Without marrying her. I know Americans are…licentious…"

Really, she thought it was abundantly obvious that she and Iomedae were sleeping together, but she supposes in their eyes it maybe doesn't count.

"Well if that's the concern you should keep in mind that I'm Sarkorin-American, not an American by birth.  I wasn't under the impression that I could marry her, on this planet."

"Well, it's a bit unorthodox, but - well, the reason it might not be a concern for two women normally doesn't exactly apply here -"

'Can men usually get off in three minutes?' she doesn't ask, because she's not actually trying to avoid being pressured into marrying Iomedae. "Well. I'll think about it, then. I probably will, I imagine I'd be wronging her quite badly if I didn't."

"Yes, exactly." says Xiomara, clearly relieved. "It'll raise eyebrows, if you live together without any announced intention to marry…"

It hasn't for the last two years. "I see. I'll think very carefully on that. Is that all?"

"Yes. Good work on the airplane."

"Thank you, ma'am."

"Iomedae. Look, I know I haven't really been very active in - guiding you -"

Iomedae is reaping the consequences of her actions and she does not actually like it. The scheme is working perfectly but it turns out that having all the people you respect frustrated that you are being irresponsible and promiscuous is actually kind of upsetting. 

"You expected me to have better judgment and to see the difference between having Alfirin as a lover openly six months ago and doing it now that she has Alter Self."

"...Yes. Well. That's most of it. I am not sure that it was wise before, either, but - it seems very much like a mistake now."

" - why was it potentially unwise before? Because the grownup one is an evil maybe-undead wizard?"

"That's a part of it. Part is that it seems - bad for cultivating virtue, to have unserious sexual relationships, even if there's no risk of a child."

"I think I agree. It's too close to - treating people as sources of entertainment, too much risk of getting mixed up in your own head about what they can expect from you and why you're sure you can stand up to it.

I asked her to marry me during the war. - once it was over, obviously, and we were less busy. And she agreed, but - but no one would have known what we were saying, if we'd announced we were getting married. You would probably have humored us, but-"

"...So that was for show? I did think she was using alter self for a lot of things where it would've been simpler to just ask someone else for help. Which makes more sense if it was making a point."