He's a little hurt that this is his first time hearing of this. That it's his first time noticing. True enough she's kept it covered up, but he should know these things! And at the same time...why should he know these things? It doesn't have much to do with him...not really. It's none of his business, and there are things about his past that she doesn't know, surely.
But that hurts him. He wants to know more about her. He wants to know everything. He wants to protect her from whatever ghosts and demons of her past may try and rear their ugly heads in the future - let them try, he'll cut them down with all the fury of Ares.
Silently he listens, probably far quieter than he's ever been before. But he's focused. Taking in every detail. When she finishes speaking he brings his hand from her shoulder to her slender neck, running his thumb along the scar, gently and carefully. "Does it hurt?"
Then she makes the request of him, and it's only fair. She shared her secrets, she should know about him as well. Besides, the way she grins and shrugs it off makes him smile, he admires her for that; her strength. Whether she wants to acknowledge it or not, she has the strength of a conqueror.
"So much of my history is already in the books, though this notion that my height is not what it is, it's ridiculous," he chuckled. "Hmm..."
He thought long and hard. His expression turned somber. "The books will tell you that my mother was a loving woman and cared deeply for me. It isn't necessarily true. She conspired to kill my father, Philip II, because she wanted to see me King." Iskandar looked up to Saft's eyes, obvious pain in his amber eyes. "I would have been king, regardless of whatever child my father conceived with some whore. My mother went too far; she robbed me of a father, rushed me into the kingship and made people suspect me."
His fingers tease at the water for a long moment. Creating ripples and watching them fade into nonexistence. "The men who killed me, I'm sure they thought I was involved with my father's murder..." He glanced up to her again. "The books will tell you I contracted typhoid fever. I tell you now, I was poisoned with it intentionally. My closest friends and generals, they murdered me."
no subject
But that hurts him. He wants to know more about her. He wants to know everything. He wants to protect her from whatever ghosts and demons of her past may try and rear their ugly heads in the future - let them try, he'll cut them down with all the fury of Ares.
Silently he listens, probably far quieter than he's ever been before. But he's focused. Taking in every detail. When she finishes speaking he brings his hand from her shoulder to her slender neck, running his thumb along the scar, gently and carefully. "Does it hurt?"
Then she makes the request of him, and it's only fair. She shared her secrets, she should know about him as well. Besides, the way she grins and shrugs it off makes him smile, he admires her for that; her strength. Whether she wants to acknowledge it or not, she has the strength of a conqueror.
"So much of my history is already in the books, though this notion that my height is not what it is, it's ridiculous," he chuckled. "Hmm..."
He thought long and hard. His expression turned somber. "The books will tell you that my mother was a loving woman and cared deeply for me. It isn't necessarily true. She conspired to kill my father, Philip II, because she wanted to see me King." Iskandar looked up to Saft's eyes, obvious pain in his amber eyes. "I would have been king, regardless of whatever child my father conceived with some whore. My mother went too far; she robbed me of a father, rushed me into the kingship and made people suspect me."
His fingers tease at the water for a long moment. Creating ripples and watching them fade into nonexistence. "The men who killed me, I'm sure they thought I was involved with my father's murder..." He glanced up to her again. "The books will tell you I contracted typhoid fever. I tell you now, I was poisoned with it intentionally. My closest friends and generals, they murdered me."