Rowan's jaw tightened. "So many men died carrying out my orders... and Cedric..." His voice caught before he forced himself to continue.
"The one man who has stood beside me through everything is now fighting for his life because I sent him there."
He fell silent once more, unable to shake the crushing guilt that had followed him ever since Cedric had been carried back through the palace gates covered in blood.
"But you didn't know that would happen..." Rosalind said gently, not wanting him to continue blaming himself for something he could never have foreseen.
She stepped a little closer, her voice softening as though she hoped it alone could ease the burden pressing down on him. "You only wanted Griswold brought to justice for everything he has done. None of this was ever what you intended."
"But at what cost?" Rowan asked quietly.
The words carried far more weight than anger. They were filled with guilt.
