[ Nikolai shakes his head at that. ]

You are always my responsibility. You’re my friend.

[ Yet as soon as he says that, Nikolai realises that it’s wrong. He’d spent a fair lot of time wondering if Alina really was his friend, or if they were still just allies. He doesn’t tend to trust much to his feelings. Everything is based on logic and reason. But after wondering whether he could truly count her as a friend, he now realises that the word isn’t nearly enough. Not for what she’s come to mean to him here. His hands trail down to hers, and take them. ]

You’re more than that. You could have survived without me, Alina. You never needed me to make you strong. It was always me who needed you. In Ravka, as well.

[ He’d needed her to strengthen his claim to the throne. He’d needed her to help him rally the people, to give them hope against the Darkling. He had needed her far more than she’d ever needed him. That, perhaps, had been the problem. He would never have sought her out if he hadn’t needed her. So how could she ever trust him?

If he’d never sought her out, he would have been poorer for it. He finds himself leaning instinctively into her kiss, and drawing her closer into his arms. ]

I still do. Just not in the way I expected. I never expected to care so much for you.