Gratitude lit up Ariadne's eyes like silver coins. It wasn't that she'd never had anyone concerned for her well-being. Of course she had. But given the nature of her position at court, given the fact that she was always pretending to be something she wasn't, she often had to mask her concerns and pains. It was...nice...not to have to lie. And nice to hear words of compassion.

"Thank you," she said. "I'm sorry if I scared you or something."

She'd scared herself.

Ariadne shook her head a little bit. Feeling more secure than before, she dropped her legs over the side of the branch, holding on with one hand as she lowered herself, to another branch just above Connor. She moved through the tree as easily as if she were just taking a stroll. It was her native habitat, after all.