"I knew I was different," Krem corrected. They were backtracking from the story of him leaving Tevinter in a hurry, really, but that was alright. He'd never gone in depth with someone about these things.

"My father was alright about it. He'd angle his shaving mirror down, and I'd pretend to shave with him. I think he knew, even when I was very young. But, oh, my mother. She was--I knew she was just worried. About me, about the family. But every day, I'd put on all those layers, get into my dress and look in the mirror and hate myself. That's when I knew."

He huffed a sigh and sipped his wine. "I don't know. Bits of it. Soldiering was--difficult. I went in to have my name again, initially. Names back home go from the male head of house. When a man sells himself into slavery, the wife and minor children don't revert to a maiden name. They just become nameless."