~~~{──────────
Afternoon.
Wyfellon. Wyfn-Garde.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~}~~~
"You're my wife, Salviana. That means something to me, even if it doesn't to others. I won't let anyone hurt you." he declared.
"But it's more than that, isn't it?" she pressed gently, tilting her head slightly to catch a glimpse of his expression. His jaw was tight, his eyes focused ahead, but there was a vulnerability in his voice that she hadn't heard before when he spoke.
"I've always been alone, Salviana. None of my family has ever cared for me, except maybe Abigail, and even that's questionable. I'm feared. Hated. But with you… I don't know. I just—" He paused, his grip on the reins tightening. "I just find myself hoping, desiring to be accepted, something I haven't cared about before," he whispered gently.
"I don't want to lose you to the hate or fear of me."
