At that Joel bristles and feels something cold and hard drawing tight around his heart. "You're right," he says. "How stupid of me to think of you as a person in your own right and a friend before I thought of you as a Grimhilde."

He hadn't come here for apologies. He had wanted to know why and now he does. From what he can tell, as far as Nerium is concerned, he'll only ever be a pawn and that realization bites into him, stinging.

"Enjoy your forest," he says, turning to go.