Never. That was the answer to Sanria's question: Did you ever expect this to happen? She had gone with Gilean as he stormed through the Grove, down the roads, and to the cavern; pleading the whole way that he stop and work with her to determine a better way. Instead, he veritably dragged her along, repeating the same refrain, "No, this has to stop. I will make him stop."
They stood there, Orn and Mirin both looking too worried to leave them to their own devices, and only reluctantly doing so. And it was as she had anticipated - Gilean and Colin standing toe to toe - the gladiator and the priest. "Sanria's not leaving Colin and you need to stop this immediately!"
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me. You can't bully Sanria into leaving. She is my wife, we have a family, we have a child."
It was already spiraling, and Sanria had been around Colin long enough to know what the tensing jaw meant. She also had been around Gilean for enough time to understand what the flash of anger in his eyes meant.
"Please," she said. "None of us need to do this... there has to be an- other answer than... this."
"Exactly, Sanria. Gilean just needs to accept your decision and leave this house."
"She's only making that decision because you have forced her into it by not leaving her alone. Now you WILL leave her alone. Do you hear me?"
"Is that so," Colin said, tilting his head. "...or what?"
Sanria's stomach lurched. She had to do something, and quickly. There was no way to tell whether or not Gilean would win by magic, hurting or killing Colin, or Colin would win by beating Gilean with physical strength alone. How things had come to this point, she didn't quite understand, but here they were, and she had to do something.
She stepped between the two of them and asked each what he could do if she chose them. Neither of the bullheaded men was prepared to let go. "Fine. Then I choose both of you," she said simply, and walked to the side to stare at both of the dumbfounded men. She didn't mean it, not really, but the expressions on both of their faces let her know that she had succeeded where her pleading had not. "We can all move in here, together. There's plenty of room in the cavern. I will divide my time evenly between the two of you. Saturday, or Sunday if you prefer, I will alternate."
She pulled her bluff with righteousness and every tone of a leader and businessperson. She held her head high as she spoke the words, even while her heart was racing. "You can't be serious..." Colin said. "In this way, we will have peace and harmony and everyone will have what they want."
