All right, Ione had no reasonable way of knowing this, but this was in fact a huge mis-step, if Merrin asks to have a book like that read to her. Real Chelish romance novels are not suitable for Merrin to read. And they can't just substitute romance novels from Taldor or Absalom; all the romance novels out of Cheliax are insanely boring and it won't be credible that somebody like Ione would have read them...
Abrogail directs a thought out at a secretary; all the best current Chelish romance novelists are to immediately divert to producing, as quickly as possible and collaborating as necessary, at least ten different Lawful Good romance novels with interesting plots. Yes she knows why it's impossible for Lawful Good books to have interesting plots, tell the authors they need to get it done anyways or they will die in interesting fashions. She wants a dozen potential plot synopses on her desk in three hours.