[ Many would call her a bit of a meddler for what she’d done. She should have respected that Beatrix wanted to be alone. Perhaps she could have stopped at merely letting Dohalim know that something had happened.

But, after seeing what had happened to Diluc after he tried to keep everything to himself - after that secrecy and those lies and his fighting against noctaere on his own nearly brought the worst to bear - and after their encounter with Eustace… She couldn’t bring herself to let Beatrix be alone. At least, not in the immediate aftermath.

The general at least earns a grateful look from the tiefling as they link arms and begin to make their way to the rose gardens. She knows that she’s been asking a lot of Beatrix, lately, and she knows that it’s uncomfortable and ugly and vulnerable. But… The most worthwhile things often are. ]

I am most certainly not…! I’m not letting you go, Beatrix.

[ In many ways. ]

I won’t say anything more until we’re sitting on our favorite bench in the gardens, but… I’m here for you, okay? Don’t forget that.