"I do appreciate the apology, Idris," Roslyn replied, expression and tone both softening slightly. It wasn't, however, enough. The gravity of the situation simply demanded more from him.

"You have, however, rather dented the trust that I—and indeed your father—have placed in you. To that end," she concluded with a nod, "you shall be on a very short leash until the time comes for you to depart for school."