The good mood faltered, added tension to composure already strung tight, and he should have seen it coming ever since she'd first told him they were asking, but somehow he hadn't expected her to say yes. Hadn't expected her to make that betrayal, and the step back, the tightening of fingers around the grip of his bow, the disbelieving furrow of brow, he tried to reign it all in, remain impassive, as if it wasn't really so big a deal, but he couldn't. Not this. Not after everything else.

"Oh yeah?" The tone was forced, artificially light, the kind that could probably fool everyone except those who knew him, who knew the difference between projected and reality.

There had to be more to it, he thought. That couldn't be the end of it, it couldn't be that simple, that cut and dry. Nothing ever was with her, but he couldn't say if that was practicality or wishful thinking.