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"You should not have come" His voice is softer He cups my cheek with a hand

"You led me to you You wanted me to find you"

"'Tis not possible I control none of this" He waves to the fog on the ceiling "You used ic worked reh for me to do that?" I snap A flicker of amusement crosses his features and I seize on it "Please There are soon you"

His eyes turn dark and then back to the gray of fog once more He takes my shoulders I stand frozen for a one, before I realize if ever there was a tiht for what I really want, it's now

"There's a part of you that kind of likes me," I continue "The side that said you'd take me as a queen if you weren't betrothed I'd like to think it wasn't fortomorrow"

"You are correct, Naia You need to leave" His tone is softer "Go back to your hoer"

Crushed, I can't help the tears for "For the first time in my life, I knohat I want, and it's not to sit into a job I can't stand! I want to help you save your world"

He wipes away a tear with his thuoes to my lips

"Even if I didn't want to be here, I don't kno to go home It means we have to stop this, no matter what"

"'Tis not possible" His calmness normally steadies me This time, it makes me frantic I can hear his resolve, his acceptance of the situation He's truly given up

"You have to stop this" I take his hand and squeeze "No one else can!"

"'Tis not so easy I have tested the evil of this place It cannot be defeated, not after a thousand years"

I don't knohat to say and ht to speak

His eyes return toand man, death and life

"Please try," I whisper

"I do not have that power"

"Then who does?"

"No one"

"Not even o to the spot on od The tears are co, accompanied by raw e hurt, I've spent a lifetis The walls are crashing down, releasing every part of me I've ever tried to hide away I quiver with the effort it takes to prevent a breakdown