"Did that man die long ago, and I was just too blind to notice?"
Rosie's words crushed Tommin's heart, along with the few scraps of pride that had held him up when he learned that she and Tonnis were still alive. For a fleeting moment, he'd hoped that there might still be a place for him in this world… That he could find some scrap of the father that his son once admired, or a shred of the husband who had held Rosie in his arms with the gentleness that a priest would cradle a sacred relic.
"Rosie, I…" Tommin began, only to be cut off by a stern, sharp command.
"Enough," Ashlynn said, stepping between Rosie and Tommin before the fallen Templar could speak again. "I think we all know how hollow and empty your words have been tonight, Sir Tommin. Anything more would just hurt Lady Rosie more than you already have," she said, turning away from Tommin to take Rosie's free hand in both of hers.
