Miv laughed. "I never said I wasn't weird..."

"If you had, you would have been lying to me. And we all know that you can't lie to me. Isn't that right?"

"No, I can't." Miv's eyes went soft as she said this, and she smiled a bit.

"There's my Pale Rose. You know how to be. A lie is something I don't tolerate."

"D'Artigo, something is bothering me..."

"And what might that be? I hope it's not too troublesome."

"You... don't really intend to stay with me, do you? After we find a new home, you're going to leave again... And break my heart, and I'll never see you again, isn't that so?"

D'Artigo's eyes closed. He didn't want Miv to know about this. He was never able to stay in one place for a long enough time. He was a free spirit. But he couldn't do this to her.

"Miv, I don't intend to stay, you're correct. However, I don't intend to stay away either. Just because I leave one night doesn't mean that I won't be back the next. I won't break your heart."

"And so the caged bird sang, never able to join her true love, in the big blue sky, because of iron bars."

Pain crossed her face.

"I would never take your freedom."

"My freedom gives me the choice to visit you in the cage. I told you; I would never break your heart. I will come back. My allegiance and..."

D'Artigo gives a small nod, then continues. "Are to the queen. And I won't change that."

"Sometimes I want to be free, too... The cage isn't so comfy."

"The cage is just a room though. If you leave it empty, then of course it's going to be uncomfortable. But if you fill the cage with that which makes you comfortable, it won't matter if you can leave or not. You will find comfort."

Miv smiled sadly.

"My cage is my duty to my people. I can never leave it..."

"You don't have to. Fill your cage with things that are comfortable. Then, you won't want to leave it."

"I'm not sure I can..."