Tail curled protectively around his rump as he allowed his chin to rest on the earth he was lying on. Some part of him regretted telling her his story, as it revealed more of his personal side than he usually showed to his subjects. Then again, Elphaba - though new - was clearly not a normal subject of his, she was a friend - a true friend. It had taken him this long to realize it, but he would certainly not soon forget it. Ears swiveled forward like satellites as she lapsed into a story of her own. He hoped she didn't feel obligated to divulge such inner thoughts and feelings to him just because he had. He would never want to guilt her into such a thing. He listened to each word as it spilled from her lips, knowing that every phrase probably pained her as it had pained him to spill his own guts. He didn't somehow understand how it linked to his own tale, but he would listen intently all the same - if anything it was serving as an excellent distraction.
But then she went on to explain just how it worked into what he'd said, and the King felt himself feeling like a fool once more. He shook those feelings away, though, and resolved to believe that she was simply wise beyond her years. "That is quite a tale, and it made me realize that I did the right thing - even if it hurts like hell right now." And it certainly did hurt like hell. He felt like his heart had been trampled on by the very bull he intended to eradicate in the coming weeks. A smile ghosted across his lips. "I am glad you found me before I froze myself to death. I can't believe I went swimming in the onset of Winter. " He wouldn't make the mistake of calling himself a fool in front of her again, though he genuinely felt like one. He rested his head back on the stone floor and felt his body slowly warming to it's usual temperature. Gerhardt would be sure to think before he went swimming again.
