Alfred could tell, from the way she closed her eyes and said nothing, that this had not been the best thing to say. He wasn't sure what she wanted to hear, though. Would it have been better to lie to her?

He waited, feeling rather exasperated. Stupid biscuits laced with magic. He hadn't done anything wrong, he didn't think, and yet here he was trying to work out how to get himself out of trouble. When Zelda eventually spoke, her words didn't seem to be directly connected to anything. She wasn't wrong, but what did Jo's relative freedom of movement have to do with whether or not he was attracted to her?

Oh — he realized the connection. His demeanor soften considerably and he reached out to touch her elbow. "Zelda," he said quietly, "Nothing's happened between us."