It wasn't until she pulled away and let the ring drop to the floor that Tiberius realized she'd had anything in her hand at all. His attention had been focused elsewhere, on her expression and her words. Even after it hit the floor, it took him a second to find it with his eyes and realize what it was. By that point, she was well on her way to leaving.

"You can't go anywhere else," he pointed out, loud enough for his voice to carry to her as she left. It was true: the Vow she'd sworn would keep her from fleeing the country or running into the arms of a lover, and without his oversight in her life she might very well die of one of the other clauses. Even so, he didn't imagine it would stop her. He didn't think she had any intention of going anywhere else. She was just going away.