"Stop calling me<i>Princess." </i>When he said it, it sounded like an insult.  As if he wanted to call her a child or a brat, but had not found his way to that wording yet.  Her rage had softened, but only slightly so, because even if he had been through great trauma, that did not mean he got to push it upon other people.  Men like that were not good for anyone.<br/><br/>And yet, when her eyes lifted to meet his, she did not see just fury or anger in him.  There had to be more, there had to be a reason why he agreed to protect her.  "And stop acting like I want to run back to Lord Bennington.  If I go back to that castle, it's because I have nowhere else to go, not because I am running from my problems or running into the arms of a man who wants to marry me for what might title<i>might</i>give him.  He wants to be a king, but I was not raised to be some man's simpering consort...Some man's quiet queen."  The last words were said through clenched teeth.  They were not her words, they had been her father's.  She had been seventeen, on the cusp of womanhood and insecurity had gotten the better of her.  She thought herself to loud, too impactful, too intimidating to ever find the right sort of match for marriage.<br/><br/>Etra'dagn Ellswell put his hands on both her shoulders and spoke those words.<i>You were not raised to be some man's simpering consort.  You were not raised to be some man's quiet queen.  You were raised to rule.  You were raised to lead.</i><br/><br/>"I never said I was the only one who suffered.  I only said I don't think I'm able to handle all the burdens you want me to take on."  Her voice got quiet then, but she did not make a break for it.  She wondered if he could understand that or if so much of his empathy was already taken from him and he would just lash out at her more.<br/><br/>"And even with all we've both lost, that's no excuse for hurting someone..."