Aspel/Ari/Drake - FAIRLY LATE
He should have agreed with Aspel - he couldn't remember the last time he'd heard anyone mention the there of them, except Ric, who was more concerned over Drake's intentions than the rumors - but he found that he didn't exactly want to. It wasn't as if by ending the charade he wouldn't spend any time with Aspel - they were still Council and still had to spend plenty of time together regardless of the rumor mill - but it would be harder to justify their... dates.
Because if it ended, then spending time together as they had been outside of Council would have to end, too. Unless they wanted the rumors spreading again. Which he most emphatically did not want.
Leave it to Ari, of course, to think of a way around it. "This is true," he said after a minute. "And Faram forbid we do anything to tarnish the Bards' Guild trollop's reputation." He grinned over at Ari and blew her a kiss.