[The effort it takes for him to call forth the right words, the somber nature of his tone, even his body language is enough to make her own face fall as the gravity of what he shares takes hold. It's not something she has experienced for herself yet— but she doesn't have to in order to know that it was truly awful. She has already had to face friends on the battlefield during the war; each instance was sharp and painful, a knife sliding between her ribs, but for that mock battle from so many years ago to be made real...

It is a dreadful mirror of what was a happy memory for most of them.]

Claude...

[Her gaze drops, and she shakes her head.]

It was the start of Pegasus Moon, before I came here. I have not been returning to Grondor, but... I have faced friends in battle. Every time, it is terrible. To be forced to face so many at once is...

[She looks up again, her lips set into a thin line.]

I am sorry, Claude.