She considered the fire, focusing her energy to allow her to pick up the can from the flames. "My mother told me about a time shortly after your father died when you heard of a crystal in the Mountains," she mused, her cheeks pink from the heat of the fire. "The crystal was supposedly a main source of power for some of the mining communities. When you heard about it, you set the mountainside ablaze in search of it." Her gaze flickered up to him and her brow furrowed uncertainly. "Thousands perished, and the Crystal turned out to be a large pool of water within a large network of mines. Dwarven miners would gather at the Crystal to refill their water canteens and rest."
"I.. I never did it in search of the crystal. It was more of a threat to get the mining communities to send resources to the kingdom." He frowned. "It was a bad thing to do, nonetheless."
Her face fell. Clearly, she had been hoping he was able to reject the entire story. "I see," she said quietly, her gaze fixed on the fire.
He was watching the fire as well, his expression downcast. "I regret the things that I did, you know."
She looked up at him, the flames cast dancing lights across her face. “Because you got caught?” she asked, her voice genuinely curious.
"I don't think I would have regret it were I not caught," he said honestly, "but.. 200 years is a lot of time to think about your life and the choices you've made. So.. I suppose I feel remorse for the people I've hurt."
She folded her hands in her lap, watching him thoughtfully. "If you had the chance, would you do it all over again if you knew you wouldn't get caught?"
He took it. Her corn was still being cooked, but after a moment he picked it up off the heat easily and offered it to her. "I think I'd try to do things the right way."
She took it, grateful for the heat of the can, her fingers cupped around it. "Well... I know you're capable of great things," she said quietly, still watching him. She paused before tilting her head. "But you still wanted to take over when I freed you. What changed?"
He looked up at her. "I.. I'm not. I had my doubts when I was freed. I'm sure you noticed the hesitance of my answers, but.. I'm not sure what solidified my decision."
She met his gaze, frowning in thought before she looked back down at the corn. "I wonder if my visions have changed," she said quietly, frowning at the ground. "It wouldn't surprise me. You seem like you've changed." She smiled a little, shaking her head. "You're... softer. Kinder."
She looked worried that she had offended him, looking up at him suddenly before relaxing as she saw he was kidding. “I dunno,” she said, looking back at the fire again. “You’re soft with me. I’m not quite sure why.”
She looked up at him, a small smile on her mouth. "Kind, then," she ventured. "You're kind to me, and I can't quite figure out why."
She looked up in surprise, tilting her head. "Well, yes, but... I don't know. You didn't seem the type to return the favor."
