She blinked before clarity swept over her features. “Oh... Oh!” She tilted her head before taking his arm, the action feeling natural. “Okay then.”
His expression soured. "She was kind before my father forced her to marry him." He paused. "Or so I heard."
She looked up at him, frowning a little as her fingers brushed his palm. “I thought you liked your father.”
"Who else was I supposed to like?" he said. "He kept me pretty much isolated. I didn't have anyone else to look up to."
She looked up at him before looking down at their hands, almost touching, and she considered them, her sweet face soft as she thought. Her fingers interlocked with his gently, and she gave his hand a slight squeeze before letting go and returning to her natural position. “I think you’re better than both of them,” she said quietly. “A better person.”
She gave him a small smile, resting her temple on his shoulder before looking straight ahead again. “That’s more than I expected.”
“That’ll be nice, right?” she asked, even though inwardly she was trying to hide her panic. “What will you do once you can do magic again?”
He shook his head slightly, that frown returning. "I don't know anymore. Maybe I'll go to Xidia and live with the dragons. Then I can't bother anyone."
