Yes, and you are not the first to say that. Lucia often reminds me of that on nearly a daily basis. [ He fakes an exasperated sigh, but it is solely for her benefit. He feels the slightest bit of a sting at the mention of the Archbishop, but he continues on as if nothing happened. ] I merely hoped to reason with him, to try and persuade him to see another perspective, but you and I both know how that turned out. Perhaps when I was younger, I might have had a different result.

[ But he shrugs his shoulders, because those days are gone and are not able to be recalled even if he wished for them. ]

Now, as fond as I am of the family home, I would so hate for you to get your hopes up and then be disappointed. [ Once again, he makes mention of disappointing her, but he does have a genuine concern: a concern that rapidly flies right out of his mind when she gives him a smile and that tight embrace.

Right in this moment, it does not matter who may be watching and what they may say. He only wants to drink in this moment for as long as it will last. And while they are sharing in it, a fleeting thought occurs that perhaps he should invest in some armor that is not quite so sharp. This could become a regular occurrence, and he would hate for her to hurt herself on it in the process. ]