"I am tempted to seek him out- if only to see what it is that finally called you to trying something so foreign." Were they human, elven, Qunari? Were they nice but not too nice- Alistair did best with someone that bit back, so to speak, were they broad or blonde or ginger?

All...aesthetic curiosities, to be certain. His pride is not at stake here in the slightest. What they have? Means more. Because-

Because Alistair does not want him and that makes this safe. "And to, perhaps, offer you direction to someone that won't call you 'highness', yes?"