"Strange that she gravitated to him more." It felt as if lingering on Lev is a poor idea, if Roman's expression was anything to go by, and so Lord El-Melloi II tried to speed past that particular point. It was an easy thing to do, given the man's strong reaction, and Lord El-Melloi II only felt a little bad for making the suggestion. He hated when others did it to him, after all. "Perhaps I've misread the situation then." That counts as an apology, right? "I'll leave you to be the judge of the source of her animosity though."

Maybe she thought she was better than any idol? Who was to say.

The question about a picture was met with a tiny, bitter, regretful laugh. No, no they hadn't. "I didn't have the foresight for it," he said wearily. "I was nineteen and a selfish, demanding brat who only thought he was good at thinking long term. A photograph of myself and Iskandar?" He snorted.