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For a moment, as Umbrosus held her, Val didn't fight. She let herself be embraced by him, and he would be able to feel her body shaking slightly. It was almost -- almost -- as beautiful and heartbreaking and right as it had been when he had kissed her before, during her last visit to the mirror.
And then she was away, trying to look him in the eye again. The dagger was still in her hand, but she had almost forgotten it. Certainly, she wasn't interested in doing anyone any violence, especially since she didn't know how that would affect her.
"As I said...I begrudge you nothing. If you...if you have something to do with my being here, then...then I thank you for that." Half of a sad smile momentarily surfaced on her lips. "But you're changing the subject. I can't...can't make that same sacrifice. I am for you...I was for you anyway...only for you. I can't...I can't be bought, or traded, or controlled...I can't be sacrificed to the higher good. That you would ask it of me...that you would tell me to give my gift away...the gift I've never given, not before, not since, not now, perhaps not...not ever...I can't even..." She closed her eyes. "...tell you how much that hurts...makes me wonder."
She opened her eyes again, and they were still full of emotion. "And what of...of my sisters? If they choose not to...to see beyond my mortal form now...why should I end our curse? It's...it's just that sort of narrowmindedness that...that got us into...into trouble before. And I can't give my life for...for something I don't believe in. For people who hate me."
The girl shook her head again. "If my...if my promises mean nothing...if they are not valued, if I am not valued, why should I keep them? I have...I do have another place. I'm Imperial Consul to Arakmat now...my sense of history is bad, so I don't know if...if that means anything to you or not. Milo -- you remember Milo? -- is my brother here. He...he is gentle with me." She was wandering now, and she tried to get back to where she needed to be. "I would do anything to keep my promises...if there was a reason for me to keep them."
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