[Ah.]

[That was the way of it, then. Gaius feels his heart sink, and he breathes out a rough breath, hands clenching into fists at his sides as he looks away.]

Quintus, you old fool...

...you and your men have my condolences. We did not always see eye to eye, but Van Cinna was never anything but a good man, and a more loyal man you would be hard pressed to find.

[Which was precisely why Gaius couldn't have gona back to Garlemald to help, no matter how badly he wanted to. Not with people like Quintus still there, still so loyal to Varis, still in the belief that the former Van Baelsar was the one to turn traitor and murder him. But he had had hope, that people like Quintus could be brought around, made to see the truth of what was happening and help their people to rebuild...]

[But Gaius shakes his head, and after a long moment motions for Jullus to follow him. To somewhere safer to talk, where no one can wander in to overhear; for the boy's sake, really, more than his own.]

Come. It seems we have much to discuss, so we should speak in private.