"Come now," he said softly, not tearing his eyes away from her. "The soldiers swarm around here like flies and would have swooped down upon me long before I could explain how I got here. You haven't alerted them yet." He couldn't help smiling just a bit as he called her bluff.

"But you are in an interesting position. Do you warn them and thus limit all further access to me? Or do you tell no one and keep me all to yourself? Either way, I am not going anywhere."