Eric listened to Siggy's words, taking it all in. The language, the accent. Her tale was made all the more enchanting to him for the mere fact that she spoke it in words he had not heard so fluently in so long. He felt pain for her, he cared about her plight. These were not typical responses from him, especially not for a complete stranger. He smiled when she smiled, and he frowned when she became sad.
["You have had quite the life, Siggy."] The names she'd spit out were familiar to him. He didn't know what to tell her about this, though. He was sure that it would come to light what he was. He knew too much about modern life to be in the same situation that she'd been in, pulled into this city from her certain death. He was glad that she'd been saved, though. And hoped that she would never be sent back, as he was sure she would perish.
["I lived by the water when I was a child. My real name is Lief. I was the second son of a king, a man at twelve. When I turned sixteen, I married my brother's widow and stepped into the line of succession. I had six beautiful children with her, but only three of them lived. My wife and the sixth child died of fever not long after the birth. I had almost five beautiful years with my family before ..."] Eric wasn't sure how to go on. He didn't want to scare Siggy off. But he felt like he couldn't lie to her, either. Not this special woman.
["There is something about me, Siggy, that I feel I must tell you if we are going to truly be friends. I fear it will scare you away, though."]