[With a deep sigh Richard eases his back against the chair and crosses one leg over the other as he considered the follow-up question. How did he prefer to spend time with a loved one? By scheming and plotting the downfall of their enemies, spinning tales so rich and brilliant that they would fool even God's eyes, turning lies into the truth. Committing the sin. That kind of stuff.

But it's not like he could admit any of it out loud. So, instead he just leaned onto his usual excuse: his wife.]

Pardon me. It has been so long since I saw my wife that I have grown rusty at the topic of romance. Anne and I would go outside riding in the woods. And during the winter she would invite me to ice skating. Although, I suppose that the activity was never the important part. Just her presence. [It's not technically a lie. That's exactly what they had been doing with Anne during their youth. Back then when he was still naive and foolish enough to fall for the convenient lies of romance]