I was common-born; education was the first and best step on the path to power, for me. If I wanted to convince others I or my ideas had merit, I had to sound the part long before I could afford to look it.

[ He said it with good humor, knowing full well that almost all evidence of his early beginnings had been shed long ago. Like a serpent's skin. Leaving only what was polished and glossy and less prone to breaking.

But the statement seemed to remind him of himself, and he straightened a little, speaking less in whisper and more conversationally, his own eyes flitting to glance down at his own hands. ]

In this new world, it's proven... a useful talent.