Arrow Lake Now we got bad blood

as he listened to her, and the bud of irritation he'd felt over the matter blossomed with frightening speed into a full-leafed tree of shame, the ash-plated warden became intensely aware of just what kind of doghouse he'd put himself into. the idea of losing takiyok's trust felt like he was about to be skinned, and all the blood seemed to drain from him, as stigmata seemed to brace for an unspeakable amount of pain.

"you are right," he admitted in a hush. then, louder: "i did not think about you, or our children. i thought only of myself, and what i wanted... i love her, and i could not think past that." stigmata swallowed a dry lump in his throat, counting all the ways he felt guilty.

guilty for hurting takiyok; guilty for not regretting his relationship with ketzia; guilty for not considering the emotional needs of his family.

"try to understand, takiyok. i barely knew my mother, other than that she was cold, and i cannot even tell you what my father's eye color was, let alone what he was like, that is how much i saw of him... but it is just how i was raised."

"so i apologize for failing to see the importance of my presence as a parent. i did not understand or even see all the potential consequences until now. it was beyond my scope to recognize such things, even though they seem so obvious to you... but i am prepared to take responsibility for all of it."

by now he was looking at her feet, head bowed in deference, and ears pinned back in repentance. i did not understand that this could break us. "if i have truly lost your trust, then my next action will be to retire as general, so that i might dedicate myself wholly to earning it back."