'Do you?'
He looked up to the ceiling as if asking the stars to grant him patience. Then he shut his eyes and said, "Oh Lord, yes."
Thalia let out a strangled laugh, half in disbelief, half in grief. Then she sniffled, wiping the edge of her eye with the back of her hand.
"To take me to the king?" she asked bitterly. "So you can hunt the rest of us down?"
Sebastian met her eyes with a silent intensity that made her heart stutter.
"I'm just a maid, Sebastian. But I will stop you with everything I have before you ever lay a hand on my lord and lady."
He stepped forward slightly, chest rising with a quiet exhale.
"Damsel… no. I apologize. We started on the wrong side of our characters."
She raised a brow, deadpan. "I was fine. You're the hunter."
He winced. "Fair." He rubbed the back of his neck, visibly unraveling. "So… will you tell me your name?" he asked quietly, as if asking for forgiveness with the question.
She tilted her head. "Why should I?"
