you have the gall to be angry with him!" Joven's hands were clenched into fists and his scowl bore more honest anger than Endrance had ever seen in the man before.
"You worthless, honorless woman!" the bodyguard continued. "This life you have is only because he wants you to have it!" Joven's gesture toward Endrance nearly hit the mage in the face. "It would have been one thing if you were a foreigner like he was, but you were of Balator! You were raised to accept this! You owe him your life twice over!"
Bridget's tanned face paled and she watched him warily, more than just fear dancing in her eyes. "I..." she eked out.
"I'm going to wait for you downstairs." Joven stated to the mage. "I can't stand to be in the same room as this dishonorable thing."
Joven left the room before Endrance could say anything, slamming the door hard enough to shake the floor under his feet. The room was silent as the both of them heard the barbarian's angry boot steps tromp down the stairs.
"I'm..." Endrance said, swallowing. "I'm going to go."
He turned to walk out the door, but only walked one step before he felt something pulling on the back of his shirt. Bridget had grabbed him and wasn't about to let him leave yet.
"Wait." she said. Endrance could see tears in her eyes, but her voice was unwavering. "Joven's right."
"I didn't say-" Endrance began.
"Of course you wouldn't say that!" she interrupted. "You're too much like Anna was! Nurturing and protective. Joven's right to tear into me like that. I deserved it." She hung her head as she spoke. "I need that. I've been out of control; blaming you, blaming everyone but myself. I should be grateful that I have a life at all. I should be grateful that I only lost an arm. If you were anything else but what you are, I would have died right there."
Endrance turned to her and she let go of his shirt. She took a step back and gave him a smile, tears still brimming in her eyes. "I should be grateful that I still get to serve someone who holds to their convictions." she said, her voice low. "Please, just… I'll be okay. I just need a little longer."
Endrance reached out and tipped up her chin with a finger. "Hey." he said, trying to sound confident. "No matter what, I'll do what I can to help you. There's a chance that I won't be able to restore your arm good as new, but I'll find a way to help. I told you before that I would try to do right by you the night we met. I intend to keep that promise. We already lost one of our family, I don't want to see the rest fall apart."
She looked at him with confusion crossing her face. "You... still want to have me around you, after the way I treated you?" she asked. He'd not seen this vulnerable side of her before, but he knew her well enough to know this was something he’d only rarely witness.
"Bridget, you're still you; even if you had lost more than your arm." he said. "I won't abandon you because you're lashing out in pain." He stepped up to her and embraced her. She stiffened, and he thought for a moment she was going to try to shove him away. Instead, something broke inside of her and she wrapped her arm around him and sobbed into his shoulder.
They stood that way for several minutes. Her tears soaked into his shirt and her voice was muffled against his neck as he held onto her. He knew that someone like her, who valued strength, wrapped it about her like armor. This injury was more than physical; it had built up pressure inside, and now she was letting it out.
She eventually quieted, and he waited for her to shift her balance before pulling away. "There." Endrance said. "Now how about we go downstairs and you can help me sort out this mess that I've got to clean up before General Rohl gets here."
She nodded, and they went out the room and downstairs.
In the kitchen, Joven was leaning back in a chair, his boots up on the table as he reclined. He glanced at Endrance out of the corner of his eye and grinned. "So, did it work?" he
"You worthless, honorless woman!" the bodyguard continued. "This life you have is only because he wants you to have it!" Joven's gesture toward Endrance nearly hit the mage in the face. "It would have been one thing if you were a foreigner like he was, but you were of Balator! You were raised to accept this! You owe him your life twice over!"
Bridget's tanned face paled and she watched him warily, more than just fear dancing in her eyes. "I..." she eked out.
"I'm going to wait for you downstairs." Joven stated to the mage. "I can't stand to be in the same room as this dishonorable thing."
Joven left the room before Endrance could say anything, slamming the door hard enough to shake the floor under his feet. The room was silent as the both of them heard the barbarian's angry boot steps tromp down the stairs.
"I'm..." Endrance said, swallowing. "I'm going to go."
He turned to walk out the door, but only walked one step before he felt something pulling on the back of his shirt. Bridget had grabbed him and wasn't about to let him leave yet.
"Wait." she said. Endrance could see tears in her eyes, but her voice was unwavering. "Joven's right."
"I didn't say-" Endrance began.
"Of course you wouldn't say that!" she interrupted. "You're too much like Anna was! Nurturing and protective. Joven's right to tear into me like that. I deserved it." She hung her head as she spoke. "I need that. I've been out of control; blaming you, blaming everyone but myself. I should be grateful that I have a life at all. I should be grateful that I only lost an arm. If you were anything else but what you are, I would have died right there."
Endrance turned to her and she let go of his shirt. She took a step back and gave him a smile, tears still brimming in her eyes. "I should be grateful that I still get to serve someone who holds to their convictions." she said, her voice low. "Please, just… I'll be okay. I just need a little longer."
Endrance reached out and tipped up her chin with a finger. "Hey." he said, trying to sound confident. "No matter what, I'll do what I can to help you. There's a chance that I won't be able to restore your arm good as new, but I'll find a way to help. I told you before that I would try to do right by you the night we met. I intend to keep that promise. We already lost one of our family, I don't want to see the rest fall apart."
She looked at him with confusion crossing her face. "You... still want to have me around you, after the way I treated you?" she asked. He'd not seen this vulnerable side of her before, but he knew her well enough to know this was something he’d only rarely witness.
"Bridget, you're still you; even if you had lost more than your arm." he said. "I won't abandon you because you're lashing out in pain." He stepped up to her and embraced her. She stiffened, and he thought for a moment she was going to try to shove him away. Instead, something broke inside of her and she wrapped her arm around him and sobbed into his shoulder.
They stood that way for several minutes. Her tears soaked into his shirt and her voice was muffled against his neck as he held onto her. He knew that someone like her, who valued strength, wrapped it about her like armor. This injury was more than physical; it had built up pressure inside, and now she was letting it out.
She eventually quieted, and he waited for her to shift her balance before pulling away. "There." Endrance said. "Now how about we go downstairs and you can help me sort out this mess that I've got to clean up before General Rohl gets here."
She nodded, and they went out the room and downstairs.
In the kitchen, Joven was leaning back in a chair, his boots up on the table as he reclined. He glanced at Endrance out of the corner of his eye and grinned. "So, did it work?" he
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