[The tea is still too hot to drink, but he concedes to her impatience with a nod and a sigh. He reads her discomfort in her posture, in her fidgeting. The last few days — from their arrival, to the purgatory of the sky station, to the busy confusion of the city — has thrown a lot of uncertainties at them. A lot of problems to solve. And unfortunately, he has one more to add to the pile.

His countenance has tightened, transforming him from gracious host to beleaguered king.]

When we met this afternoon, I left out some key details of Ravka's current situation. Yes, you defeated the Darkling and thus saved Ravka from what I can only assume would have been a dark era blotting our history indeed.

However, nothing is ever so simple. Especially in the realm of politics.

[Nikolai pauses to test his tea. A small sip, and his lip curls in distaste.]

Oh, that's awful.