"Please don't misunderstand. I'm... happy, really, I am," said Dagger, and she reached for his hand. She needed him to know where she was coming from. "But I still have not given Vayne an answer. Just yesterday, he informed me that his brother, Larsa, was killed in conflict with an Epitaph. He is my friend still, and he's grieving now. I must think of a way to handle this so that I don't cause him any more grief than he is already dealing with. For him to hear this before I've talked to him myself would only make matters worse."

Dagger gave his hand a gentle squeeze, a silent plea for him to understand.