Something shifts in the lines of his face, a sideways twitch of his mouth that meets the remark, then elects to step around it in favor of: "More than you might expect. The two share a common impulse toward expansion, and a certain dislike for powerful women in Orlais. But no."

He nods to the book, the slip of paper, the effort.

"I can't say that Anastas is admired especially there either."