Opal forgot to breathe. She nearly forgot that she'd asked a question. He was not only touching her leg, he'd squeezed it. The only time he'd touched her, other than the rare moments of holding her hand or putting his hand on her back to guide her, were those special nights. And her leg... he was touching her leg, like it was nothing. Like it was something he did all the time. Oh my.
Alright.
This was good.
He was touching her leg and talking to her.
Talking to her! Opal swallowed and remembered to breath at that point. Because he answered her question. What had he said? She tried hard to think and remember the sounds she'd heard, other than the rush of her own blood pounding through her ears. He'd said "of course." The air she'd just inhaled came out on a relieved sigh.
He didn't think she needed it anymore. But didn't he? Well, no, not exactly, Opal decided. But his people still needed it. Their people, since she lived here now too. So she could use it for that. And he'd said that meeting her was some of the "good." So that must mean he did like her a little bit, didn't it? She was really hoping so.
Opal nodded and said very quietly, "Thank you." It meant a lot to her that he would get rid of the gift if he could. So she wanted to give him something to make him feel just as good. All she could think of was: "I think I know a way for you to get out of the castle more without having to be so sneaky."