Alexander James Francis Maximillion Nightingale Alexander shook his head a bit. He managed not to sigh. It would seem she had misunderstood him and his advice a bit, he thought unhappily. He cleared his throat a bit before he proceeded to speak once more, to respond to her and what she was saying. "It is not a matter of how I was raised, milady." He paused for a moment before he continued. "I have simply learned to do so over time. One tends to feel worse, more depressed and everything, when they do not do so. The looks sometimes do not mean anything, but it can hurt all the same. One must ignore such things if they are to focus on themselves, their duties, and being rational. Caring too much about what others may think of you is not a good thing, not always, milady. It does more than simply make you lose focus and such. It can affect ones health, both of mind and of body, and it can do more than simply hurt over time. There have been many these eyes have seen that have learned that the hard way, and these eyes have seen quite a lot, milady. The whispers...the stares....the sounds may be silenced, but the looks remain. One must have a thick hide to lead, as I, myself, have learned the hard way." Alexander allowed himself a single, brief sigh. He took a breath as he heard her say that she was flattered. "It was not an attempt to flatter you. I merely spoke the truth." He nodded when she seemed to accept his apology. "Some arranged marriages come about for either money or power, and I , myself, do not desire such a marriage. The shadows may guide me, yes, but I decide for myself if I wish to go through with such an act. They guide but I am in control of my own life." Alexander paused again for a moment. "Sometimes there are ways around it, but they are most often not found, unfortunately." Alexander frowned, if only for a brief moment, when she asked about him being lonely. He turned his head away for a time as he spoke, as he replied to her, to that question she asked. "It is better to be alone, than to seek someone who does not even know my name in full, let alone know ME." He turned back towards her for a time. "I would prefer to be in the company of someone I can truly trust, and those are few and far between in my life, especially as of late." Alexander heard her, after that, when she said that she hated liars as well. He nodded, again, once. "I have had many lie to me, it has been hard to find honesty in this day and age, even within my own borders."