Ridahne studied her, her expression unreadable. "So there have been things you've kept from me. I guessed as much, and it seems I've rightly assumed it was because it was knowledge meant for you and you only. I knew not to press about that, at least. I won't sway you, you know what's best. But I am curious." The warrior let it go at that. She was curious, but not enough to pry. That sort of thing was beyond her, anyway.

As Darin spoke, Ridahne was at first resistant. "That's not--" The words stuck in her mouth, brow furrowed as she rapidly thought it over. She didn't need anyone to fight her battles. No one ever had. No one ever needed to. She'd always been her own advocate, she did not need help. But then, with a sigh, she realized Darin did have a point. It wasn't the same, and she hoped Darin understood that. Martin had left because he wanted to, not because Darin or her mother did anything wrong. Ridahne had done something wrong. She'd earned every part of her sentence and there was no question about it. Yet, she realized, Darin probably didn't see it that way, and she probably didn't care. 

"Maybe," Ridahne admitted quietly. "It is different though. I broke the law. I murdered three people. I could have appealed to the Sota Sol and told her of Khaltira's corruption, and they would have done an investigation and put her to trial. And if I'd have done that, I might have been hailed as a hero. But I didn't have that time. If I'd waited even one more night, a wounded man would have lost his wife and caretaker, and a little boy would have lost his mother. It's not like I was falsely accused. If I was, I'd tell you to be as angry as you like. But regicide is uh..." she gave a little nervous laugh, "sort of a big deal. I think you are more angry than I am about it because you only see what they did, and I have to live with what I did. More than that, I know what they [I]could have done[/I]. If they thought I was a rabid madwoman murderer, they would have sent someone else to find you when I told them of my vision. They would not have assigned my fiancé as my guard. And," she added, "I brought it on myself. I knew what I was getting myself into and accepted it. You...never had a say. And you did nothing to earn it." 

Ridahne sighed again, relenting a little. "But it's not like I expect you to love them, or to be particularly nice when you meet them. I likely won't be. I don't harbor any hatred toward them in particular, none but Khaltira," she said with such disdain that her very words felt like poison. If she were not indoors, she would have spat. "But they have no hold over me anymore. I am not theirs, and I will not hold my tongue for their comfort. And they have no hold over you, either. When we stand before them, I will not stop you from speaking your mind."

She went quiet for a moment, visibly churning over what she wanted to say next. Her swollen brow furrowed as she finally admitted, "I'm not sure I know how to sit back and let someone else fight my battles for me. It is not my nature. But...perhaps I could fight them alongside a friend." Ridahne gripped Darin's hand tightly. "I know I deflect a lot, or defend them, or am quick to admit my own guilt. But nevertheless...it's...good to have someone in my corner anyway. Very few people in Astra are."