There it was. Spunk. Terence knew she was still more than capable even now, and catching a glimmer of it even in her state made him smirk. It was one of the reasons he found her so interesting, after all. He liked a woman with fire. But then he noticed how Melinda spoke of the other girl, Lia, and he knew instantly how much she cared for her. Terence knew that feeling well. The need and want to protect someone who loved you, who you loved in return, but they were old enough to make their own decisions. And more than that, you couldn't force decisions upon them. They would always... do what they wanted.
Instead he listened quietly, nodding before finally moving forward a bit, hoping it wouldn't be too bold as he reached forward, putting his hands on her shoulders. "I know how hard it is to want to protect someone who doesn't think they need your protection," he said quietly, and a bit hoarse, if he were being honest. "But she has you, Melinda. And she has you here. All you can do is be there for her, even if she hates you for it. One day she'll understand. And if... when he fails her, you're going to be there for her. Not everyone has that, and Lia is damn lucky that she does. I know it may not seem like much now, or that it isn't even helpful, but it is."
Trailing off he sighed, letting her go and standing up, looking at the darkened sky and then back at the castle. "You wanna go inside? It's getting cold."