"It's not, like that, it's...!" Rose starts to protest, and forces herself to stop. All of this is hard to hear. It's hard to be accused of so many things, things that Rose is only partially in the right for. No, she deserved this. She hurt Pearl in so many ways, and now it's all coming to a head.

When Rose continues, it's softly again, just as guilty as before.

"I made difficult decisions that would have hurt you and anyone else who knew. The rebellion could have fallen had anyone known before. And... I was scared of losing you. Terrified, right down to the deepest facet. But... it doesn't excuse that I didn't tell you afterwards."

She looks up at Pearl with teary eyes, speaking volumes of apologies without a single sound.

"It had nothing to do with trusting you, and everything to do with not being able to trust my own judgement enough. I was the liability. Looking back, I guess that could even be said about Greg.... We both know it was never 'the plan' that I fell in love with him," she says, her voice so quiet that that it's hardly above a whisper. Her eyes return to being downcast, a tear breaking free. "On the battlefield, I'm strong. I make the hard decisions because that's what a leader does. But in matters of the -figurative- heart... I'm so weak, Pearl. I'm sorry."

Quickly, her thick fingers wipe the tears from her eyes, her mass of hair hopefully blocking the scene.