"Some in the world think that it might be magic. Many cultures eat pieces of others of their species. Humans eating humans is not a new concept or a strange act, though it is something of a social taboo. There are tribes that eat the bodies of their enemies for reasons varying from trapping the souls on the mortal plane, to attempting to gather the strength of the dead into themselves. For some it is an insult. For others, an honor.
"I ate the heart of the younger Hannibal to honor him. Because I knew that it was what he wanted, since it is what I would have wanted. I had no idea when I completed the act that he would literally become a part of me. That, I believe, is due to the city that we're in, and not some kind of actual magic on my part."
Hannibal's head tilted as he listened to Arya, a distinct trait that they both had shared.
"Interesting." He assessed her face and the way she spoke. The reverence in her voice. "You admire them."