Moonspear Everyone sees what you appear to be

From the shadows behind, he heard the footfalls of Desdemona as she joined him; he offered her a sideways glance in lieu of a proper greeting before his gaze returned to the wayfarer before him. She exuded a confidence not too dissimilar to his own, but at least she relented respectfully. Deference was always a boon, certainly one of many ways to appease him gently. Such was the natural law of their kind, though there would always be those who tested it.

It also narrowed down the list of reasons why she may have been there, though it was with some skepticism lurking in the forefront of his thoughts that stopped him from receiving her too warmly. With all that lurked beyond their borders and his daughter missing, Dirge could not help but embody some of the iciness that would have been reserved for Hydra. Her attitude towards the borders had rubbed off onto him, somewhere along the way, but the words off his lips did not follow through with the intensity of his gaze.

“A king though I may be, it would be impolite of me to lead an introduction ahead of a lady such as yourself,” he offered gently instead. “I suspect you’ve come with a request, so if you’d be so kind as to begin we’ll see where it takes us.” He was a knave long before a king, ever seeking information to satisfy his own wonders. There was duality to be had as well—he felt it wise to be guarded with strangers beckoning at his front door.