[he's not an idiot; neither was she. duelists were particularly attuned to body language and, being the very best among them, he can sense when he might have made a misstep. so his eyes flicker away, perhaps the slightest bit shameful. acknowledging that no matter hard he tries, he continues to stumble with this woman. but he'll keep trying anyway.]
You don't have to.
[he makes that clear. if he forced her, he'd be no better than the men who harassed her, than the people that shunned her.]
But you can control it, Kisara. There's no reason it has to control you. It's just a matter of discipline. And I'll do whatever I have to do to make that happen. So you don't have to be scared anymore. You don't have to worry that the dragon will consume you.
[he squeezes their hands again. this time more insistently, more desperately.]
That's what this is really about, isn't it? I can't be your priest, but I can be...
[don't say master. she's not a slave. don't say tamer, don't say ally, don't say friend. just say...]
no subject
You don't have to.
[he makes that clear. if he forced her, he'd be no better than the men who harassed her, than the people that shunned her.]
But you can control it, Kisara. There's no reason it has to control you. It's just a matter of discipline. And I'll do whatever I have to do to make that happen. So you don't have to be scared anymore. You don't have to worry that the dragon will consume you.
[he squeezes their hands again. this time more insistently, more desperately.]
That's what this is really about, isn't it? I can't be your priest, but I can be...
[don't say master. she's not a slave. don't say tamer, don't say ally, don't say friend. just say...]
...your protector.