Morgana said, "And my father, too.
That same fire, that same unshakeable conviction. And I realized something."
"What?"
"That maybe he wasn't a fool after all. Maybe there are some things worth sacrificing everything for." She paused, and her smile became more genuine.
"I didn't expect you to do that tonight. You controlled yourself and went along with my wishes. And you threw all of that away the moment someone insulted me."
"They called names, to my grandfather and my father," Jaenor said flatly.
"What did they expect would happen?"
"Most people would have swallowed their anger and moved on. Protected themselves rather than defending someone else's honor."
She shook her head.
"But you're an Arkwright. And Arkwrights, for all their flaws, have always been stupidly loyal to those they care about."
Jaenor felt something shift in his chest.
In all the time he'd known Morgana, she'd been stern, demanding, occasionally amused, but never vulnerable like this.
