When will I see you again

The concern that showed in Lia's eyes as soon as he'd mentioned the Hallows being attacked was precisely why he'd immediately followed it up with his explanation of how they'd defended their home and were making sure it was safer than ever. Artorias knew Lia worried, and he didn't want to burden her mind with fears over the home she was moving into. By the time he was done, no invaders would ever catch them off guard again. Lia's comment about him being mostly unharmed drew a deep chuckle from the Aegis. "Yeah, me too," he remarked in agreement. Knowing that his opponent had had a hidden dagger and only went for his leg instead of his heart was a show of just how fortunate Artorias had been.

When he pulled out the bottle of sweet red wine and offered a drink to her, Lia seemed almost taken aback by the offer. Artorias smirked and laughed when she asked if he was sure. "Well, yeah, why not? Besides, I definitely need a drink, and if I'm drinking alone, I'm gonna seem awfully sad and pitiful." Popping the cork out of the neck of the bottle with his teeth, Art swirled the bottle to let the wine breathe for a moment before bringing the bottle to his lips and taking a long drink of the bittersweet alcohol. Ever since his first drink with Sirius almost a year ago in this very room, Artorias had found a profound appreciation for alcohol and the way it made all the pains of life seem to disappear, if only for a short time.

Once he'd swallowed a mouthful, Art once more offered the bottle to Lia. "Give it a taste. If you don't like it, you don't have to keep drinking it. But you're gonna have a lot of access to it once you move into the Hallows," he said with a snicker. The hesitation in Lia came not from her own reluctance to partake, he realized, but that she was still holding herself back, trapped in her own mind as a slave. That's okay, once he got her into the Hallows, they could work on liberating her day by day. Lia would never be a slave again, in name or in practice. She would be a handmaiden to the Queen of the Hallows, a confidant to her, with a modicum of autonomy in her life. Artorias realized Lia would likely always need someone to be in charge of her to find peace and harmony in her life, but it didn't mean she had to keep thinking she couldn't make her own decisions too, like if she wanted to have a drink of wine.

"Artorias Carpathius"