"...Well, yes. We do have the rings to prove it." He does relax a little at the kiss, though. "What brought this on?"

His Shadow chuckles at their antics. "To be frank, I think dismissing yourself would hardly help. Just as Magpie is interwoven with the Palace, so are you. I can also imagine that giving up wouldn't reflect well on Drake. He might even take it to mean that you're discarding him outright."

"Which is hardly what I want, obviously. I just..."

"You're hurt, and there's no easy solution. It's not a situation where you'll get the 'justice' or 'apology' you feel you deserve, and so you're left without a resolution, which in turn only intensifies your stress because you lack a proper outlet."