"I'm still working through it. Still figuring out whether I can separate the anger from what we're building now. But watching you this past week—seeing how you've treated other clan members, how you've given the faeries dignity and purpose, how you've actually listened when people raised concerns—it helped. You're not the dismissive person I accused you of being. You're just someone who sometimes gets so focused on the big picture that you miss immediate fair costs."
She reached out and touched his shoulder gently.
"I need you to keep doing what you just did—acknowledging when you mess up, being honest about limitations, treating me like a person rather than just a clan asset."
"I can do that," Jorghan said.
"Or I can try. I'm still learning how to balance leadership with actual relationship building. But I'm willing to put in the effort if you are."
Sarhita smiled, and the expression transformed her face from stern to genuinely beautiful.
