"But there's a problem, Lyra," Ash said calmly, "And that is I'm still in an arranged marriage." And that was the crux of it in the end. Even if Ash felt compelled to stick with one person, he was still attached to another by contract. It was signed, sealed, and delivered. Set in stone. The only way out was for him to leave everyone and everything behind him. A choice that held far more weight than it seemed to those unaware of how complex it was.
He reached out and touched her shoulder and then his hand moved to her neck before cupping her cheek, "What would you do then?"