The threat hung in the air, naked and brutal.
This was no longer about wounds or humiliation; it was about annihilation.
Thea felt a cold sweat on her brow. Poppy herself was now tugging frantically on Sigrid's arm, tears in her eyes.
"No! Sigrid, please! Don't! My honor isn't worth this! I don't care about any of it! I just want you safe!"
Yet, against the terrifying finality of Luca's last threat, Sigrid did not crumple.
She seemed to grow taller.
A strange, serene smile touched her lips—a smile of utter acceptance that was more beautiful and heartbreaking than any look of defiance.
"Even if my life is the price..." She said, her voice gaining a resonant, gentle strength.
"Even if I fall here and can never again serve my lady...I would consider it a worthy end. To have fought, however briefly, to cleanse a stain on her honor."
She placed a calming hand over Poppy's.
"That is the duty of a knight. That is my choice."
The transformation in the clearing was instantaneous.
