Of all questions she could have asked him, Soryk wasn't quite expecting something so pointed and direct. True, that Zelda had never quite seemed the sort to dance around, which was something he appreciated. Atê had constantly been tugging him back and forth, never giving a straight answer on anything, and it'd irritated him plenty. And if he'd been roundabout prior to her, he certainly wasn't as their relationship progressed.

He refrained from anything transparent, like wringing his hands, or looking away. He settled for, instead, straightening out the cuffs of his doublet and underlying tunic. "Ah..."

Soryk cycled through the possibilities of his words and he finally opted for a form of truth. Perhaps it was time for him to stop being subtle or for him to stop denying his own sentiments. But putting it all into words was far more complicated.

"That... though you may be fitting more in court, your joy is more important and you ought to be where you are most comfortable and pleased. And that I..." With a great tentative nature, he reached over in hopes of taking her closest hand to hold between his. "...should wish to not only bask in your prosperity, but that I may also contribute to it. If you would allow me the privilege of doing so."