He has seen her in the biology building, whenever he comes from his classes in political science (chosen, of course, by his parents, who are political figureheads, lifetime senators with popularity ratings through the roof, and of course he will follow) when he comes to see Oriencor.

Oriencor, who sometimes he feels has ensnared him, who is maddening and bewitching but recently tiresome and difficult to please, who he is almost thinking he should unshackle from. She was something forbidden, once, in a life where nothing forbidden has ever been accessible, and she taught him everything about how to please a woman and nothing on how to love one.

He knows, too, that she is Roshka's twin. Roshka is a year younger than he is, but they have a lecture together and they've studied together, and he knows that Roshka's twin is named Aeriel and that she studies bizarre subsets of marine ecology, like she's going to keep the world in place.

Today he sits and waits outside of Oriencor's office, and sees her pass by. She catches a glimpse of him, that's all it takes, and she's tripping over herself, sprawling on the ground, and he gets up a moment too late. "Are you all right?"