Sage chuckled softly in response to her comment, shaking his head. "That's where you're wrong," he mused lightly. "I can count on one hand the number of people who have treated me like a human being. Respected me as a person. You're one of those. That's worth more than any title," he added, sort of fiddling with his hands. It was a pretty raw statement he supposed ....the fact that people still turned up their noses at him or assumed bad thing simply because he's from a low social class was still a touchy subject. But Anya had always supported him, always treated him well. That was worth more than anything. Though at he next comment, he sort of just patted her back lightly with a hum. "It'll work out, Anya," he murmured. "One way or another."

Anya's eyes widened for a moment. That's right. She hadn't really thought about how he'd been treated now. She sort of just assumed that after everything he'd done, everything he'd been though, that people would start seeing him differently. Apparently not. It didn't matter that he'd saved people, turned it all around and had his own little business and family. Water holds memories or whatever, but so do people. People are worse than water in most cases. She let out a slow breath, her brows pinching together. "I'd have treated anyone the same. Not everyone would have done the good that you have, though. So, if there's anything you need, I suggest you ask now while I'm weak and mourning," she told him with a slightly amused chuckle. She hoped he knew that she'd do absolutely anything for him, if he just asked. She'd wait on him hand and food if he so wanted. She just scoffed at his next comment, though. It'll work out? What's going to work out? The kingdom? It'd survive with anyone ruling. Someone could take her place with the snap of her fingers. Still, she felt like her life had been stripped from her. She was a place holder until someone else came along once she died. There wasn't an awful lot to look forwards to anymore. A pout crossed her lips, and she sat up again, just a little. "All mighty Sage says that things will work out 'one way or another, there for it must," she declared sarcastically. Her tone slumbered just a little after a moment. "I dunno, Sage. I don't think things are gonna go back to how they were. At least then I had Luther and Att cheering me on," she paused and looked over at him with a wrinkled nose. "Don't take this the wrong way or anything, you're a great cheerleader. But it's not as easy as 'things will work out.' That's not what I need, and it certainly not what I want." Her small smile faltered for a just a second. No, she needed more than that. The support of someone she loved and cared about unconditionally seemed like a thousand miles away now. She'd had it. She was so close to having it that it hurt, and yet the universe, the forsaken gods couldn't allow her to keep it.

Sage sort of hummed in response to her first, comment, shrugging after a moment. "I think if you paid them they'd do whatever you wanted them to," he noted with a slightly amused tone. Of course, her attempt at a joke pulled a laugh from him as well, and he gave her a grin. "Oh please, you never could say no to my charm even when you weren't all weak and mourning, as you put it," he teased lightly, something up a bit as she did. "I know," he noted softly. "Things change. People change. Life's nothing like it was back when you first started hanging around the tavern. Hell, from that time to the time I came here for the first time life had changed," he mused. "But Anya, sometimes change isn't all bad," he added. "It's hard. Gods, I know it's hard. And that hole never fully closes. But it gets smaller, easier to handle." He paused then, letting out a small breath. "Just give yourself time," he noted after a moment or so of silence. "You'll find someone. You're an amazing woman Anya, don't ever forget that," he added. Someone would come along, and they'd have a happy ending. If it could happen to him, it would definitely happen to her. She just needed to trust herself.

Anya huffed out a soft breath after a moment, then shook her head. No, that wasn't right at all... she had paid people to do things; she had a whole army of gaurds waiting on her every word, and she knew for a fact that if it was their life or hers, they'd save their own. It was understandable, she'd do the same, but Sage hadn't. He'd risked his life for her time and time again - without being paid. "I still think there's more we should have done for you-" she paused for a moment, her nose wrinkling. She knew they should have done something closer to the time. Like, when he'd saved her mother. They should have showered him with gifts and praise right then and there. He'd never been paid for his help in the caste. Everything had been done in a desperate attempt to convince the Queen at the time stay in the castle. She still hated the idea of it all. Her nose wrinkled slightly, not so subtly disagreeing. "I have been in mourning since the grand age of ten. You've been taking advantage of me for years, without any charm," she mused. Then, another soft sigh escaped her. Things change, day turns to night, summer turns to... blah, blah, blah. Her lip twitched slightly, in a little amusement. "Yeah, I know, I know. But incase you havent noticed, none of my change has been good. You got pulled out the slums, brought up to the castle, found your wife, had your first child, moved into a nice little place, started up... whatever you do then had your second child," she paused for a moment, huffing out a breath. "So far, my change has been my fiance being killed while trying to protect a child that wasn't ours, my home being stormed, my said 'child' hating me and my parents dying," her voice sounded amused, even if she was anything but. She hated it all, so, so much. She wanted to start again somehow. She was being over dramatic about it all, really. But, she was very currently wallowing in self pity. She saw little to no reason she couldn't feel like this for just a little bit.

Sage shook his head with a small smile in response to her comment. "Anya, you saved my life. Like a million different times," he snorted, amusement creeping into his voice. "You're my friend. That's all I need," he added softly after a moment. At her next worda though, he hummed in agreement. "Maybe so," he mused in thought. "But my change before that was just getting worse and worse. And then you came along. Then change started to be good." He was attempting to make a point there, he supposed. "You just need to wait for your ...Anya," he noted with a shrug, though the part where he called that someone an Anya was a little amusing. "They'll pop up when you least expect it," he added with a chuckle.

Anya rolled her eyes softly after a moment or two, then shook her head. "You're one person I've helped, and you've somehow managed to look after the people up here more than once," she hummed softly. She wouldn't let him forget what he'd done for everyone up here. She hoped he knew that if he wanted anything bar a sub-par friend, she'd give that to him. If it was money, somwhere to stay, she had his back every step of the way. She cocked her head after a moment. Yeah, she really didn't need another Anya moping around in her room right then. "I think I'm good," she breathed softly.

Sage chuckled softly in response to her comments, just nodding along with her first one but choosing to move the conversation on. He knew if he needed anything, she'd be there for him, just like he'd be there for here. Been there for her. Whatever. And he had a feeling that if something terrible happened to him, for whatever reason, she'd help his family out with anything they needed too. He offered her a small grin in response to her comment though, shaking his head. "You know what I mean," he mused lightly. "Take your time. Get your feet back under you. And You'll be able to do anything," he noted lightly. It would take time....but he did truely think she'd do great things. That she'd find someone, have a good family. She certainly deserved it. Not everyone got what they deserve, in theis world unfortunately...but Anya would be ok.

Anya blew out a soft breath after a moment, and offered him a shallow smile. Yeah, she got it. It was much harder for her than it was for him, though. Her 'Anya' couldn't be some random person she'd picked up from the streets or the ward. Her 'Anya' had to be someone that could bring something more than themselves to the table, and unfortunately for her, all those people were already old and falling apart. She grumbled at that thought, and sort of just let her lungs deflate before drawing in a long breath. "Yeah, I guess," she mumbled after a moment or two. It seemed like a long, long way in the future, and she didn't much like the sound of that. She then groaned, rolling her eyes slightly. "Yeah, sure, whatever you say," she breathed softly after a moment.

Sage sort of cocked his head for a moment before grunting. "Can I just point something out real quick," he mused. Then he gave her a pointed look. "If you're queen, no one can tell you no," he noted with a sort of chuckle. "You can do whatever the fuck you want, and if that means marrying some poor tavern boy you pick up off the streets because you truly love him, there's nothing anyone can do about it," he added, raising an eyebrow slightly. It would cause some people to grumbled, sure ...but if she was going to lessen the lines between social classes like that they'd grumbled anyway. But if she found someone she likes, they didn't need to be some prince. His face softened slightly. "The only expectation they need to be able to uphold is to treat you the way you deserve," he added softly after a moment. "Don't let all these walking fossils scare you into doing something you know isn't right," he added with a snort. Sure, they would have some good insight on things. But not everything. She'd just need to discern those things for herself.

Anya raised a brow after a moment, then groaned at him. She understood what he was saying, but it really, really wasn't that easy. She couldn't do this alone, quite evidently. It would be easy just to pick someone out of a bunch, take someone in off the streets and offer them a life of luxury, stick a crown on their head and call them a king, but it just wouldn't work. She needed help, someone who knew what they were doing and had seen the state of the world. Some 'poor taven boy,' as he'd put it, just wouldn't make the cut. "It's really not that simple, Sage," she murmured. "It's not just me I need to worry about. It's a whole kingdom. Its you, your children and wife," she then paused for a moment. "Whoever rules with me needs to know how to work things, at least a little better than I do. It needs to be good for everyone, and in truth I'm in the back of everyones minds surrounding that," she told him carefully. "Unfortunately, these walking fossils do know best. And, unfortunately, I'm already scared," she added with a small hum.