Lady Selene,



I must admit that I feel... conflicted at your opinion, thus far, of my family. While I have no desire to deny the pride and honour that we Kotas men (and women - for your should see my mother in a fury) hold within ourselves, I cannot, in all truth, accept many of the words in your last letter.



I understand the basic desire for revenge. I have seen it in the faces of many, in lands far away and far closer to home. I can see the sadness you mention noticing in my sister-in-law. I see the evidence of the truth of your words.



And yet, I cannot help but disagree with you and remain confused at the behaviour of my brother.



To hurt the ones you love is simply... foreign. I find myself entirely unable to comprehend my brother's behaviour towards his wife, as well as your rationale of it, no matter how much sense your words objectively make.



I can, however, comprehend how we must seem to you in our portrayals of marital strife and fully understand how you would find the idea of a long-term attachment to a Kotas man distasteful. Perhaps my mother is more unique in ways I had not known for her ability to weather a marriage to my father, who I can safely say is the most prideful of us all.



In this, I hope for you a future engagement to a man who can claim to be more kind than he is proud, Selene.



May the Gods bless you and the Leventi family.





Vangelis of Kotas





-- I can assure you, I have no intention of being unseated by a horse.