I know. [ Quiet. He does. In theory, he does. Deeply conditioned beliefs take a long time to unpick, he knows that, he's not immune to it himself, but... ] It isn't the point that you've heard it before. The world isn't so changed that people don't still sling the same old shit around, it's all still out there.

[ He's heard it before too, though never aimed his way in anything other than petty thoughtlessness. He's not naive. He's complacent. That's what had really made him angry: understanding all of a sudden how little he'd bothered to understand when he'd still considered it largely none of his business.

But the other thing he'd felt, keen and blade-sharp, was - ]

The point is that you deserve better from her. She can take all the time she needs. You don't have to stand there holding her hand while she throws stones at you.

[ His gaze is, by now, fierce. He won't have Alicent fire shame-tipped arrows into this man from inside the house when he knows how hard he's had to work to purge as much of it from his system as he already has. Enough to stand here now, hand still in Stephen's, speaking candidly with him. ]

It won't do either of you any good.