Edmund's eyebrows went up for a moment at the joke, before he remembered to relax and grin and just act like a normal Oxford boy, nothing special. It wasn't hard around Al; he just had to keep reminding himself that he'd just met the fellow, no matter how likable and honest the other young man seemed. (Very likable, in fact...)

"Nothing quite so grand," he joked back. A King was a step below an Emperor, after all. And Peter was the one with the title of Emperor of the Lone Islands. "I'm sure whatever hospitality you provide will be lovely, Alphonse." Edmund gave him an almost shy smile in return for that soft one of Al's. He was so pretty when he smiled...

What a shame Al had not a trace of kissing on the mind.

"Alchemy?" Diverted from thoughts of kissing Al, Edmund furrowed his brows and looked quizzically at the other young man. "What does gold have to do with what you did back there? Or any other chemicals, for that matter? And 'alkahest' just means you know how to do the opposite, right? Dissolve whatever you just built?"

He knew just enough to be puzzled by Al's brief explanation, and he had the feeling he should sit down for whatever further one was coming. Handy, that the bed was right there...