“I’m not so weak as to need your care. Run now!” Rowland pleaded. “The enemies are at the gate. I can’t fight them in this condition. You must escape now. My heart and soul are in your hands! Do not let them die with you!” His face was pitiful as he stared up into her eyes. He began tearing up like the drops had been commissioned by a factory. “Please, my love . . . run now. Though I cannot bear to see you go.”

Lucas, who had been simply watching this whole tragically humorous scene from the door, wasn’t sure when he should interrupt. The guards remained completely stationary and didn’t react in the slightest, almost as if this type of behavior was completely normal and didn’t even deserve their attention for a second.

“But my love! If you are to die here, feeble and easily slain by wretches, then I too shall die with you. Alas, I shall live forevermore by your side whether in this world or the next!” Dennings pulled something from her pocket.

“Stay it!” Rowland pleaded, grabbing her hands. “If we must die together, then let’s die here in each other's arms at the very last minute. I cannot bear to part with you a second sooner than I have to.”

Lucas sighed. Looking over at one of the guards, he asked, “Are they usually like this?”

“Ah . . . right, sir.” The guard glanced behind him to see the two on the floor in front of the throne, cuddled up and apparently waiting for the rebellion to reach them and finish them off. “Yeah, pretty much, sir.”

“It must be really hard to get anything done,” Lucas commented, shaking his head.

“It’s not too bad, sir,” the guard responded. “Really, we end up doing nearly nothing the entire time as the two of them almost always disagree . . . fight . . . and then . . . well, that . . . sir.”

“Nothing?”

“Right,” the guard opposite the first said, answering for his friend. “Haven’t had to do anything but stand here and collect a paycheck for five months. Shoulda known it’d end up too good to be true, but five months of standing around ain’t bad. Coulda had a worse job before I died.”

“I can imagine . . . but how do you know you’re going to end up dead?” Lucas asked.

“Well, you’re about to kill us, aren’t you?” the guard asked. “I know how this goes. I’m not stupid. Evil noble shows up during a rebellion to kill off his competition and steal their rings.”

“Ah.” Lucas frowned. “Yeah, no, I’m here to help.”

“Did they send for help?” the guard asked. He and his fellows looked shocked, turning around toward the couple that was snogging on the floor despite the situation.