[ she flinches slightly at princess, because whenever he uses her title instead of her name it feels so much more like a retreat than anything, and the last thing she wants is for him to crawl farther away. she wrings her own hands together, trying to curb the urge to bite at the ends of her hair instead. ]

If our friendship was real, if it wasn't a lie...then there must be something beyond the lies.

[ she hesitates, reluctant to draw from this well, but it's relevant. ]

And if you are really loyal to the Vorbarra line, if you really would lay down your life for me with so little thought... [ she sucks in a small, spasmodic breath and puffs it out. ] Honor doesn't exist in a vacuum, Byerly.