"I wasn't aware that you cared."
"I do," he growled, towering over her. "I care a lot more than I obviously should."
For a second, he didn't move, only considering all the possibilities of her being in that room. "Tell me why you provoked me last night," he asked of her. "Why push me like that? That's the second time. Why are you so keen on making me lose control?"
"Perhaps I wanted to see if the stories of the Fire King were true," she replied.
"Which ones? The ones of their bravery and promises the Chronicles seem to only tell? Or do you mean the ones of them losing control on their sisters with fire and rape?"
The words came quickly from his lips, and the memory made him nauseous.
Her tensing before him confirmed the latter.
"Where did you hear it?" he asked.
"People here like to talk," she said. "And because they are not clouded by prejudice and have nothing to gain by spreading lies, I am inclined to listen. Especially to the traders who told the stories." She paused, and Dorian saw the pain stretching over her face as it had once stretched over his when he'd learned the truth of his kingdom.
"Is it true?" she finally asked.
Dorian turned in a circle, his hands threading through his hair. "Yeah," he admitted. "Yeah, it's true."
"But not you."
"Never me," he swore.
She didn't speak, her eyes wandered to the ground, and then she moved to settle on the bed behind him. As though the truth had suddenly shocked her to her bones and sitting down would help her process the information.
Dorian sat beside her. "I know it's a lot—“
"A lot?" her eyes snapped to his. "Alot?That's the only word you can find to describe it?" She pushed her hands over her face and shook her head. "What else?"
Dorian huffed. "That could take a while—and not what we have time for now." A deep sigh left him as he saw the reality sink in her mind. Her eyes were fixated on the ground, a blank expression on her face. He resisted the urge to touch and comfort her.
“There are many wrong things about our past written in the Chronicles," he said softly. "Much that your people have believed for a century now that is untrue. I cannot right the wrongs of past kings, but I can try to save us. My being here in the mountains and securing this allegiance is the first step. When we go to the Dreamer villages, and I have to try to correct those lies, I'll need your help." He paused to meet her gaze. "Do you think you can stick around without pissing me off long enough to do that?"
The darkness in her eyes lifted a fraction, skin wrinkling at the corners as though she wanted to smile. "You're worried aboutmypissing you off?"
"Out of the two of us, that is the most likely scenario," he argued playfully.
This time, a soft smile did spread over her face, and he sighed at the sight of it. But he ignored the warmth in his abdomen and continued.
"If you want to know which rumors of my kingdom are true, all you have to do is ask," he told her. "Never think you have to provoke me into doing something I'll regret."
"Dorian, you had the chance to burn me alive last night, and you didn't. You should have. But you didn't. Do not think I will ever shy away from arguing with you just because of that form. If you didn't take me out last night, I daresay there is little I could do to provoke you more."
"I am not saying you shouldn't challenge me. Fuck, I like when you challenge me," he admitted. "But don't do it for the purpose of a show."
"Okay," she said simply.
Dorian pushed his hands through his hair, elbows sinking onto his knees.
And then he realized what she'd called him.
His head lifted, confusion on his face, but the moment he opened his mouth to speak, she said something else he didn’t expect.
"I am sorry.”
Words turned to ash in his mouth at the sincerity of her tone. He wasn’t sure what to say.
