There was a small but knowing smile that the Knight wore upon his lips, albeit a brief one, when Tristan had immediately motioned against anything that might be so reckless as to get Donovan killed. There had been no doubt within his heart that he would receive such a response from TRUE KING of the lands that surrounded them. The very lands that he had followed said King across, that he would continue to follow until he drew his last breath.
It was when the man that he swore his life to STEPPED FORWARD, that a weight set upon his shoulders and his smile fell away. The expression that rested upon his features instead was almost wistful. As though in his mind's eye, the Knight was seeing the future that he knew Tristan was capable of creating...and suspecting that he himself might not be around to see it.
Donovan's throat tightened, and although he did all that he could to will the moisture out of his eyes, it wasn't entirely possible. Committing the face of THE LOVE OF HIS LIFE to memory, he took another small step towards Tristan. The two of them were no more than a few inches from one another, and he could feel the heat radiating off of Tristan's skin. The sense of intimacy between them had always been a smoldering ember, every circumstance they faced together acting as a soft breeze which kept the glow alive without being allowed to become a fully-realized flame for all to behold.
When he spoke, his tone was soft, only meant for the man before him.
"My heart and my life are pledged to you, my King," Donovan spoke with a tender resolution, "...just as my very soul is." He dared to reach out, taking hold of one of Tristan's hands. "I pray that you can forgive me, should my soul be all that's permitted to remain with you...but I swear to you with all that I am, I will fight with my every breath to stand with you victoriously."
