"And if I say the only way that can happen is if you let me go?"
Caius couldn't hide his horror, and the worst part was that Rose asked this question without an iota of emotion on her face while he could feel his heart twist. It felt as though she had stabbed a knife through it, and she was telling him it was just a bruise.
He didn't want to let her go. He would rather lock her in a room and throw away the key if that was the only way, but her unhappiness affected him, and he knew he would just be as miserable as she was likely to be.
"Do you want to leave me?" he asked. His voice was hoarse, as though he was gasping for air, and he was. Caius wasn't quite sure he could remember how to breathe.
"Your Majesty," Rose softly called, keeping her expression as stoic as possible. "That's not what I asked."
