[The persistence leaves him immediately. His hand balls momentarily into a fist, but not in threat, and then his arm lowers back to his side. He's spurned, and he doesn't pursue it any longer because he isn't one to make a scene. She even moves away, and an emptiness swallows all of his insides.

Instead, he tries to focus on where she's leading the conversation, on the sudden return of the reality of being in an unfamiliar place. The hard frown on his lips is both from her rejection and the understanding of how little knowledge the two of them have about this place.] We're a commodity in a time of war. We're the bargain for winning.

The people from the Kingdoms, they're all here: two sides fighting a battle so old they don't even remember how it really started.