He helped her to her feet and then released her hand.
"By the way..." he said in a tone that became casual again. "We've been talking for a good while now and I still don't know your name."
The queen laughed as it hit her.
"That's right," she said, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye with her other hand. "How rude of me."
And then she looked at him with a smile.
"My name is Emilia."
"Pleased to meet you, Emilia," he responded, returning her smile.
Then his expression changed and while the smile remained, something behind his expression hardened.
"But first let me warn you of something," said Mark, looking directly at her. "I will do whatever is necessary to achieve my objectives."
Emilia listened attentively.
"Whatever it takes... and depending on how things develop, the methods I use may not be pretty or elegant," warned Mark in a tone that left no room for interpretation. "If you're not willing to accept that, you'd better tell me now, before what's about to happen."
