[His brows draw together. That would be complicated for him.

For one thing, he does not plan to be beholden to the King of Thorne, whoever that may be, for a century and more. He is no slave -- is he? He serves, though he had not asked to, but he is not a slave. He does not mean to wait so long as that before he can make a home with her.

But for another, he remembers that what rose and what fell did not always have much to do with what anyone deserved, and that reasons for war... most of them have come to seem foolish to him. Most people have not seen what he has seen. Most make war for greed, or like mummers make their shows. He had not liked to see Thorne fall, no matter their mistakes. He does not like to see the smallfolk suffer.]

Might be that they will. It would be better if they could fall in peace, but I would not be such a fool as to think that that will happen.

Don't think I mean to wait more than a hundred years before I can share your bed, Claire.