Not really needing to chew Rei munches down the hunk of meat rather quickly, his gaze first traveling back and forth between the two before him, then on to the rest of the room. He still listens closely to the humans, curious about the interaction, however feeling unable to just keep staring. [i]'It is an old habit, and one I do not intend to break. Even humans can tell when they are being stared at, so when scoping one out, it is good to not look directly at them for very long unless speaking to them. It puts them on edge'[/i] He is soon addressed however, his gaze going back to the youth with a faint questioning glint. [i]'Surrogate father speech? I do not even know what a father speech would be like, let alone a surrogate one'[/i] As he listens he gets the general idea, nodding softly in the affirmative. 

However, as they go on to talk about the things the old man is willing to do to protect the young prince, Rei reaches for another cut of cold meat, musing to himself. [i]'It seems that this man is very protective of Alessandro, however this is not to say that he is not also one of those who have struck the prince. From his own words, most all of hi teachers, if not all of them, have struck him at one point or another'[/i] His head tilts to the side, once more curious. [i]'Is it just in human nature to strike children? The king strikes him even though he is his son. The tutors strike him to make him a better king one day. And this old man, beloved by the prince if I am reading this relationship right, may have also struck him despite his over protective nature of the youth. . .'[/i]

He lets out a faint sigh, shrugging to himself. [i]'Humans are weird, though no more weird than a fae who kills people for a living'[/i] Finishing with his hunk of meat Rei decides to get as much reading done as he can while in the tower, his ward's safety more secure with the old man around so he can relax more. The Meister looks over to him, a faint smile on his lips before he turns once more back to the prince, a gleam in his pale eyes.

~*~*~*~*~

The fae youth reaches the edge of the woods, the sunlight beyond brighter than he has ever seen. As he moved away from the village, he could feel the life force of the forest waning, becoming almost dead to his senses, even though it is very much alive. Having lived his life in the overflowing life of the village his entire life makes anything less feel dead and dull. He swallows hard, looking out into the light, his eyes taking some time to adjust. When at last his eyes stop stinging he hikes his bag up a little higher on his shoulder, and begins making his way slowly into the tall grass, and towards his goal.