The irony of her thoughts was that Desmond came from a time long before such idea of chivalry. In his time, wars were often ended by the raping and violating of women, and slow torture of the men. Not that Desmond had the faintest clue as to what was going through her pretty little head at the moment. Even if it were nightfall, he had no hope of being able to read her mind, only her body language, and at the moment, it didn't betray anything about her being taken about, or the fact that she liked anything in particular about him. There was only that smile, which could have meant she was just feeling friendly, or something more. But even as the thought crossed his mind he pushed it away.
Such things were not meant for him.
"Thrace is a country that was around Greece a long long time ago." He said quietly. He didn't particularly want to describe it any more than that. There were few towns back when he could remember there, most of it was simple huts that were partially made out of animal skins and furs. It had been a strange place to grow into manhood, but also one that played to his talents. In that society, strength was something that was valued above many things, and, once the sun had been darkened from the sky, one thing that he had gotten the edge on his competitors with. Still, it wasn't a particularly pleasant time to remember in his life. Then again, there wasn't many of those to speak of at all. And those that were held memories that stained them forever.
Beth seemed perfectly natural despite the fact that he had gotten flustered and taken a step back. It was then that she mentioned that everyone was awkward and adjusting in their own right. If she was particularly observant she would see a slight twitch of his face at the word awkward being used to describe him. So that was what she thought.... not that he could really blame her, with the way that he was acting. But the term awkward wasn't particularly flattering, and sort of implied that it was in his nature to be this way, which it actually wasn't. If she had looked like someone else things could have been... so very different. But instead she looked like...
Her next question made him openly pause, and whatever happiness that was on his features, fake or otherwise drained away in that particular moment, leaving a cool mask of non emotion, a desolate tundra compared to the warmth his previous smile had. He paused quietly, and swallowed for a moment, and then spoke so softly, that she might not be able to hear unless she leaned in to do so, given that he was standing a few steps back from her now. "I... first lived inside of a cell." he said simply, a bitter, honest truth that he had not shared with very many people. And the last one that he had done so without any urging, just happened to have hair like the sun and eyes like the clear sky.
"I am sorry, I am rambling, and I certainly did not intend to make things, awkward." he said softly, and then politely bowed at the waist to her. "I really should depart..."