[Astarion's very grateful for the contact, holding tight to Gale's hand to ground himself.]

Oh, perfectly fine, dearest. I'm only trying to stop myself from wondering what ulterior motives your mother might have for not revealing what she knows outright yet promising to accommodate me. Because why wouldn't my future mother-in-law have ulterior motives, hm?

[He takes a breath, exhaling roughly.]

I—I don't know. Hells. Your mother is lovely, darling. I'm only looking for a knife that I know isn't there.