He is grateful that there is distance enough between them for him to muffle his sob of relief before she can hear it. Queen Kettricken of the Mountain Kingdom, Verity's wife, Fitz's friend and confidante; seeing her here, seeing recognition of him in her eyes and hearing it in the relief in her voice, threatens to rip a surge of emotion out of him. The suddenness of it catches him off-guard; it is like when Fitz arrived, only to be snatched away by the Dreaming hardly a month later.

Perhaps that is the reason why he does not stop as he quickly pushes his way through the crowd to her, and catches her in a very brief embrace--before recalling himself, of course, and drawing back from her. "Forgive me," he blurts out instantly, a hand drawn up to his mouth, "it has just--it has been so long since I have seen anyone from our world..."

His words taper off as he studies her expression, searching her face for some understanding. Does she realize that they are world's away from the Six Duchies?