His protests aren't meant to be found adorable at all, and he'd probably be even more flustered at the thought that she finds him so. But this is all very much out of his comfort zone, very much different from the mortal societal rules he lives by. In Rome with at least some familiar with the navy and it's ways he could lean heavily on protocol, he could cling to what was known to be real by several others.

Cassandra hits on a very real fear. A fear of being left alone. Not even at the end of a very long chain of command from London and the Admiralty. Not one from the gods. Here they are alone. And worse, they have no purpose. James has never lived without purpose and the very concept is alien to him. He feels suddenly uncertain of the future and his place within it.

"No. There must be a reason we are here even if it is not immidiately apparent." He has not yet been here long enough to make a judgement but the place seems squalid and in need of a firm hand, someone to deal with the depravity of the place. Rome had its problems, it had its corruption but it had still be a great place, a beautiful place. This city could be so too.

"I am sure we will find a reason to be here, some good that we can do until we can find our way... back." Back to where, he isn't sure.