Nike was aghast at the pride of her general - although really, she shouldn't be surprised. When he pulled away from her, the woman was hard pressed to prevent her jaw from dropping. Instead, she merely did an irritated grunt that was accompanied with a roll of her eyes, but let the matter drop. Her eyes trailed him as he limped over to grab his swords, muttering under her breathe, "Hades also awards those who are foolhardy." But it was mostly inaudible.

Raising her brows when he mentioned about business, mild curiosity sparked within the commander. Quickly jogging to pick up her own dropped sword, sheathing it before her light feet ran to catch up with her general's longer strides, questions popped up in her head.

Ensuring that she kept two steps behind Vangelis as he made his way up the servant's stairwell, her eyes were perpetually on his form, half wanting to snatch his two swords away from him so he could more grip. But she knew better then to recognize when her general's been coddled enough, so she kept her hands well to herself as he made his way up. Pausing when he did so, the woman retained her silence. The man had his pride, god did Nike know how big of a pride he had, more then anyone else. So she let him keep it, primed to jump in should he wobble, but otherwise left him to his own devices until he finally led her into his bedchamber.

There, the woman paused just after the entrance. This was no space she entered often. Whenever they returned to the kingdom of Midas, Nike had her own quarters. Not that she used them often, since she functioned as Vangelis's bodyguard while they were back in Colchis. Regardless however, his bedchamber was not somewhere she had a reason to be in. Unlike during a campaign, where she occasionally shook his tent or barged in when it was one of those rare occasions where he slept past the regular waking hours, and was familiar with his quarters. His bedchamber back in the Kotas household was... foreign. She had spent the better part of one week while he was bedridden posted in the rooms, but then it was through worried eyes that had kept themselves trained on his prone body in bed, and the lack of sleep meant she had little time to focus on much else.

Now for the first time, the woman's eyes veered away from the bed as he strode towards his desk, and their focus only returned to it when he suddenly tossed an item on the bed, along with his words that indicating that it now belonged to her. It took a few seconds, before her eyes widened, as she recognized the hilt, the make of the dagger that was similar to the one she now had in her boot, except that the emerald she had was replaced with a blood gem fitted in its hilt.

Blinking in surprise, her eyes flicked to Vangelis as if she was trying to wordlessly confirm what he had said. Gingerly, the woman made her way towards the bed, and with careful fingers, she picked up the beautifully wrought weapon. Her dagger, while serving its purpose as a protection, was kept with her for more then those simple purposes. It had been the only form of protection she had, many years ago when she had been alone, wandering the streets of Colchis upon her arrival, still shivering from nightmares of her father beating her mother to death.

Now, it was a reminder to herself, and a false sense of security.

Her fingers brushed against the detail of the filligree on the hilt and the sheath, and without even realizing it, the surprise she experienced was clearly displayed from the mild gape she now wore. "I... Thank you, Vangelis." she paused, and then frowned. "You know I don't need this as a thank you, right?" she continued in a wry, mildly skeptical tone, pausing in her actions of studying the dagger. "You're the... you're my friend, Vangelis." That, and she couldn't imagine how a gregarious, strong, prideful male such as Vangelis would ever lay prone and lifeless in a burial plot. The very idea was just not right in her head.

"I'll always have your back." It was a silent promise she had made to herself many years ago, when he had appointed her as his bodyguard on top of his commander in the Red Knights. Nike took her responsibilities seriously. But beyond that, she saw her general's heroicism, selflessness in looking out for others,a softness beneath his hard exterior that showed that as he looked out or others, someone had to be around to look out for him. That as much as he'd like to portray himself as, Vangelis of Kotas was not invincible. And since then, Nike had promised she would do her best to ensure that, even if he wasn't, she would play her part in making sure everyone else saw him that way.

As her thoughts ran, the heavy weight on her chest suddenly reminded her of what she had been meaning to do. Recognition flared in her eyes briefly. Nike took a few steps towards her general. As she did so, her hands reached into her tunic, and pulled out the twine with the ring hanging on it. Using the dagger he had tossed in her direction, in a motion which would only come from many years of practice, deftly slid the dagger halfway out of its sheath, and using the sharp end, held it up to her neck. Pulling the string she had tied around her neck taut, the woman used the blade to break the twine, and she let the ring hanging there slid into her palm, just as she stopped to stand before him. Nike smiled at him, before picking up his hand. Turning his palm to face upwards, she pressed the item into his hands, and grinned up at him. "It's great to have you back, Vangelis."