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“I can help. I might have a perspective that will get us out of here.” I crossed my arms sullenly. “You don’t know, I might be useful.”

Torin gave me a small smile. “This argument has gotten away from us. I dinna mean tae speak ill upon ye, mo leannan, I love ye. I want tae keep ye safe, and I daena want tae frighten ye.”

“See, that’s the issue. You’re taking on too much. I bet that’s what Max was grumpy about too, it’s not all on you. He doesn’t need you to be his hero. He’s willing to fight for his throne⁠—”

Torin scoffed. “Not well, he inna half the sword I am.”

I exhaled. “You know what I mean.”

“Aye, I do.” He huffed. “Sometimes ye…” He shook his head.

“What?”

“Sometimes ye ought tae hae mercy on me.”

“Oh.”

He chewed his lip, staring at the wall.

I took a moment to calm down and said, “I’m sorry.”

“Ye daena hae tae be sorry, ye just ought tae shew me mercy. It has been difficult and I canna bear tae see ye frightened. And tis a torture tae hae ye angry at me.”

I frowned.

Then asked, “Forgive me?”

He nodded.

“I know I’m not a sword, at all, but when I sense you’re lying to me I think you might be covering up something really bad. Like that you’re dying.”

He was quiet for a moment, staring off in the distance, then said, “I canna promise, I think tis my way, Princess, tae want tae protect ye from dire news, but I will try tae be honest about it….” He said, “Did ye ken we are in a world of shite?”

“Yes, I ken it, what are we going to do?”

“I daena ken, princess, but I will get ye…” His voice trailed off and he shook his head sadly.

I frowned. “Again, I’m really sorry.”

“For what?”

“For yelling at you, I just… I love you, I just… I was scared you were going to die.”

“I ken, but I stand before ye, yer flesh and blood husband, alive and ready tae protect ye, but… och nae… I am uncertain what tae do.”

“Me too.” I stepped closer and he enfolded me in his good arm.

He kissed my hair.

Then he asked, “Ye see that Niall has been watchin’ us?”

I nodded and followed his gaze to see Niall turn away on the parapet. “He saw us arguing, that’s embarrassing.”

“In a castle people argue, tis the way of men and wives. Some nights we would go up on the walls and Max would say, ‘ye hear it, Torin, the bickerin’ carrying on the wind from the chambers?’ And we could hear it, the castle would ring with it.”

I said, “Doesn’t make me feel a lot better, those people might bicker, but I am a princess, apparently, and so I should behave better than yelling at my husband in public, but you scared me.”

“I am sorry.”