“You trust a man who - who did things like that to you?” Her eyes were huge with disbelief.

“I trust him now. You can take that back to your friends you have made. Now,” she pulled out her dagger and gestured at the girl's bound hands with the tip. “By doing this I am not taking responsibility for you should you choose to run at any point. I should note, I tried it once. I failed miserably.”

Indeed, she had spent two long weeks in a cage. So many jokes had been made about birds in cages in that time it had become dull. Of yesterday. Old. Just why she was telling Lament all of this, Stare was uncertain, but if there was the small chance that she could make the girl's life easier then it was worth it.

Lament sniffed a little, clearly disappointed in what she had hoped Stare could give her. Yet, she extended her wrists, holding them carefully out as the kenku bent forwards. A quick slice of her mythril dagger and the bonds fell to the floor, along with the rope they had attached to. Stare took a step back, huffing out a breath and keeping her eyes steady on Lament’s.

“My advice is to make yourself indispensable to Gravelle. Make him want to come to you, please him. If you do that, then power will be next, freedoms and a better life. As good as it's going to get here anyway.” She shoved the knife back in her belt and looked over as the rattling of hinges signalled the opening of the door. Eirik stepped in, alongside a surprising figure at his side - a tall, elegant androgynous figure who seemed to be a olive-skinned elf.

“Miss Stare, this is Jordain. They are here to assist in your guard.”

Stare rolled her eyes slightly, noticing that Jordain was possibly the largest, most impressive being she had ever seen for some time - trust Zulon not to provide the mightiest soldier.

“Fine,” she nodded at Jordain.

The tall, strong elf grinned a little as Eirik smiled briefly before he began to head towards Lament. As he did the young woman suddenly spoke again.

“Just tell me why. Why you do this, for him, after all you went through. All the pain, the suffering. Why? Why would you do that to yourself?”

Stare turned, her eyes focusing on the blonde. In her mind she screamed, 'because he is my god,’ and 'because I have no other life.’ That or, 'he legitimately owns me,’ or 'what would you have done …’ But none of them fit. Not to the extent that would explain why to Lament.

So she was silent for a moment, as she breathed in deep, the guards who obeyed her commands now, though within the frames of their ultimate master, pausing at her periphery. And she tightened a hand around her left wrist, where the cuff that bound her mind to Vitruvion's lay, that bond that she had gotten so used to, had even admitted the use of.

“You don't know everything about him,” Stare said quietly, “And nor do you know everything about me. Yes I've never had any other choice in whom I serve but … I've chosen to see the good in him. To find it. Maybe you should do the same with yourself.” Though Stare doubted there was any good in Gravelle to find.

Lament threw a deep look of hatred at the kenku. Stare turned away from her, knowing that Lament had not been persuaded to consider her less of a traitor. But that was it, that was what she had to deal with her life. Slowly she breathed in and just murmured, “Sorry,” as Eirik gestured for Lament to follow him.