Sanria opened the front door of the cottage to see Colin standing in front of the house, flanked on each side by bards holding a lute, a recorder, and a tambor. She rushed out, tears burning in her eyes, waving her hands in an attempt to get them to stop. "Enough!" she shouted. "Enough! Colin, make them stop."
He smiled at her and joined in the singing with a voice much more suited to shouts of battle than song. "I just want to live my life with-" Sanria clapped her hands over his mouth, though the bards finished the sentence with a resoundingly loud, "Thou!"
"By the gods what is wrong with you?" she hissed. Colin dropped his hands and frowned.
"You didn't like it? I wrote it and asked them to sing it."
"No... Colin... you're not supposed to be here."
"Gilean isn't here, I know, I checked."
"That... isn't the point!"
"Tough luck, buddy," said the tambor player, clapping Colin on the shoulder as he walked away.
"Go home," Sanria said, and turned to walk into the cottage.
She heard Colin's heavy footsteps behind her, following her to the front door and she sighed. "Colin..."
"Please, Sanria... I just want to spend some time with you."
"Gilean is not here, when he comes home, we can spend time together."
"I don't want to see him right now," came the clipped reply.
Sanria knew there wouldn't be any turning away Colin. With a sigh, she opened the door and led him into the living room. He sat beside her on the couch, looking into her eyes while clasping her hand. "The song is true, Sanria."
"I'm sorry, Colin. I'm married to a man who is good to me, who loves
me, who cares for me-"
"I know, but what about Gilean?"
It was just too much. "You should go home, Colin. If Gilean comes back
he isn't going to be happy to see you here."
"Come with me."
"This is my home."
"No. This is *his* home."
"It is our home, his and mine. Colin... I'm sorry. I've chosen Gilean."
"But I'm back... it's me... everything we'd been fighting for is now fixed. This isn't fair... this isn't how it's supposed to be."
"But it's how it is," she replied quietly, looking at him with earnest. Colin finally got up, a deep frown on his face as he looked at her. "I will go... but I'll be back."
"Colin..."
"I'll be back."
There was nothing more she could say as the gladiator walked out the door. The one thing above all else that was certain, was that Colin didn't give up. Ever.
