"You know, Eliana...you're the first woman to ever choose me over her mission."
In his previous life, Val's existence was bound by duty and instinct. When he was in his last twenties, he had urgently wanted an heir to his mercenary group. A human could only live for so long, and his life of training and dangerous missions had left him riddled with injuries that would certainly hasten his end.
Thus, in his youthful naivety and the fact he had limited time, he sought out a woman who could bear him a child, someone who fit his criteria. She wasn't someone he loved, nor did she harbor any affection for him. Their union was more of a transaction—financial stability for her and an heir for him. It was an immature decision, one his present self would not entertain.
