"Oh, so there isn't going to be a battle in the courtyard, then."

Or even a mock-battle, and there's a faint flicker of disappointment, there and gone again in a blink of an eye. It's the one thing that he's considered going up to the keep proper to see, but if that's not going to happen he's quite content to stay down here and enjoy things without having to deal with too many stuffy nobles.

"Although I'll not disagree with you. I'd talked to Iskandar over the crystals, and he'd seemed very excited even before he'd won anything. Think he'll make things interesting, if nothing else. So why have you not gone over there, then, if you don't mind my asking?"