[ She knows that what she’s said doesn’t sound great. And yet she doesn’t regret saying it, either - if they are all to prevent this from happening in the future, they need to know where they’re all at. And that includes having such thoughts. She bears his anger and his worry with that, because he’s right - how could she not, after everything she’s just said about worry?

In the end, though, it’s not his insistence that he would never forgive her if she hurt their friends that gets at her, because she understands. She’s having a hard enough time reconciling the fact that she completely understands why Eustace turned noctaere with the fact that he hurt her and worse - hurt Trahearne and all of their friends. Even the dogs.

It’s his statement that their relationships are fragile that has her bowing her head in anguish.

Because he’s right about that, too. Each day, she lives with the fear that she’ll wake up and find Diluc gone, just as they had with Thoma. Dreams are fleeting and unpredictable and at times, nonsensical. At any given moment, they could wake up. And then they would be worlds apart and none the wiser, left only with a faint feeling that she’d had a most wonderful dream that she’ll never be able to know. She knows this because it’s already happened to her once.

What she has with Diluc is fragile, in a sense.

But not for the reasons that Trahearne may be thinking. She draws in a deep breath as his words hang in the air, filling it with certain tension. On the heels of what she and Diluc expressed to one another that night… She can’t accept anyone thinking that their relationship is fragile.

It may be fleeting, by the nature of this realm. But it is not so easily broken. ]

I understand that… And I don’t want you to think that I’m excusing Eustace’s actions just because I understand where he’s coming from. I hate to see people hurt. It’s my job to make sure that they aren’t.

But, please, don’t call it fragile… Maybe you think it’s foolish because of what happened, but… We don’t intend to ever let it get to that point. That’s why I’m telling you that all of us need to talk about these things.

[ Her lips press into a thin line, and when they part once more as she continues to speak, her voice is resolute, but shaking with emotion. ]

Diluc and I made a promise not to hide from one another and that whatever we may face, we’ll face it together. We’re not going to let each other drown. So please… Don’t call it fragile…