Ankyra Sound shame spiral

A thought had already entered Rosalyn's mind as she sat, a niggling idea that, should no one come to back the siren in her ire, she might act upon.  Might.

Caiaphas turned that might into an actuality.

Vlad's response was typical of the male, and Caiaphas did not take the humor as Rosalyn might have thought.  Instead of enraged, her voice was cold - a command.  Oh shit. She did not.

Silently Rosalyn stood, staring at Caiaphas a moment before her own lip lifted.  Perhaps unwisely, instead of fleeing, she took a step or two towards Vlad.  "Or we could take her," she said, looking at Vlad with more confidence than she honestly felt in that moment.  How deep was his connection to the queen?  How deep his friendship to her?

She hadn't had the time to find out.  And now her life might depend on it.