When he spoke again, it was with the quiet certainty of someone who had seen far too much of what this world could do to a person.
"You don't owe me anything, Fedlimid. I'm not going to force you into anything you don't want." Arthur said, the edge of command gone from his voice. "If this, if being part of this, becomes too much for you, if the weight of all this is more than you can bear, then you're free to walk away. You've already paid enough. Go back to Tash. Find your brother. Never look back. It's your choice, and it always will be."
Arthur's expression remained steady, though there was a glimmer of something unspoken in his eyes, a challenge and an invitation all at once. "But whatever you decide, don't think for a second that you're bound to me. You're not. You can part ways whenever you choose. I won't stand in your way."
