"We actually met through Ahya when she was trying out glassblowing."

"Lovely!" And he moves on to give other apprentices their presents.

Maybe he didn't notice.

He wouldn't have made a public spectacle even if he did.

Okay.

Even if he's nice, even if he's the prince, he's just some guy. It's not the end of the world if he noticed and judges you for it.

I know, I just--

I know.

It'll be okay, okay?

I hope you're right.

The rest of the recitation passes with no more surprises.

The next time he sees Marillë he has a charming story about Alqualondë and a silver hourglass he found there for her and does not ask after Vorondië at all.

She isn't sure he isn't silently judging her actions but as long as it stays silent that's fine with her. The hourglass is lovely.

They build their house. It's mostly wood and clay and it's quiet and spacious and lovely. He plants to attract hummingbirds and then pets his wife's hair in the gardens and narrates the internal monologue of the hummingbirds darting around.

Ahya decorates the house with her own less-than-perfect handicrafts and gifts from friends made while learning them and pets her husband's hair in the gardens and loves to hear the internal monologue of the birds.

Sometimes he embellishes. "That one thinks that the King is a bit reactionary on this whole departure-from-Valinor thing - that one thinks that Mandos could be productively replaced by three gophers in a long robe -"

"I didn't know hummingbirds could be so complicatedly correct about things."

"Animals are brilliant. It's people who can't seem to get complicated things correct."

A little while after that there's a stir at Vorondië's workshop - one of the princes dropped by. "Looking for a gift for my little brother, who is now old enough not to break it - oh, these are lovely, how do you do that -"

"How complicated an explanation do you want?"

"- start very complicated and then I will request simplifications when I get inevitably lost?"

Vorondie can do this! She knows lots of things about glass. And is more levelheaded about the whole prince thing than some of the others.

He does need some simplifications but asks reasonably intelligent questions and is very impressed when she walks him through the process she invented herself. By the end he is watching her consideringly.

She is also pretty good at simplifying things and not getting so wrapped up in nerding that she forgets. She...notices the considering look but isn't sure what to do about it, so she doesn't do anything about it for now.

The next time he sees Marillë he doesn't say anything. Or the next one. 

The time after that he invites her out to see a new art installation at the sulphur springs half a day's travel from the city - "you should get out more often, Treelight strengthens the mind."

"I get out a reasonable amount!" she protests, but accepts the invitation.

It's lovely. It's deserted. "I wanted to talk with you about something."

"...Does this have anything to do with the recitation."