“You are my king. You could command me to stop seeing her."Niall turned his gaze to Irial. "What would you do?""Blind myself, if you were foolish enough to use those words.”

“Irial!”“Still here.” Irial didn’t open his eyes, but he smiled a little.“You’re an ass,” Niall said, but he kept his hands on Irial’s chest so that he could feel both pulse and breath.“You too, Gancanagh,” Irial murmured.”

“The former Dark King’s eyes closed again; his chest did not appear to rise.Niall reached out and put a hand on the injured faery’s chest. “Irial!”“Still here.” Irial didn’t open his eyes, but he smiled a little.“You’re an ass,” Niall said, but he kept his hand on Irial’s chest so that he could feel both pulse and breath.“You too, Gancanagh,” Irial murmured.”

“...Bananach sits on your throne, has declared herself Dark Queen.""She WHAT!?" Niall- or perhaps Irial-asked.”

“What are you going to do? What do you want to do?” she prompted.“I’m going to go try to help Niall. He’s not acting like himself, and I have a theory on what’s wrong,” he told her. “Then afterward I'm going to ask you to marry me.”

“I can teach you how to defend yourself some. Not" - he held her gaze - "that it will always keep you safe. There are times when no amount of training will stop what others would do.""So why..." She let the question drift away."Because it helps me sleep at night, because it helps me focus, because sometimes I like knowing that maybe if I were in danger again it would help."He kissed her forehead."And sometimes because it gives me hope that it'll make me strong enough to be loved and protect the one I would try to love.”

“Leslie?" Irial whispered. "What are you doing?""Choosing."Tears were soaking the blanket under Leslie's face."I'm mine. Not anyone else's.""I'm still yours, though. That won't ever change, Shadow Girl." And then he was gone, and her emotions crashed over her.”