[ Her own smile is thin, a brittle and bitter thing. ]

It wasn't as if it was my idea. I just happened to have the right spark and somebody else decided to start telling people I was a Saintess. By the time I realised what it really meant, enough people had been tricked that I knew if I tried telling the truth... They burn girls at the stake for less, you know?

[ She laughs. It's not funny. ]

So I just kept lying. It makes me just as bad as the rest of them, huh?

[ She combs her fingers through his hair in slow, soothing strokes, brushing the shells of his ears and the nape of his neck. Even though the topic has gotten so grim, her touch is still gentle. ]

Maybe I should be thanking you. Now that I'm here, I can give up pretending.