As directed, Aleksander sprawled on the settee. He leaned back and crossed one leg over the other, shifting a little until he was comfortable. He considered Shen Yuan's words carefully. With his previous experiences, he had tried to present the appropriate dignity as the General of the Second Army while being unobtrusive enough so that it would not be immediately obvious the same man was being painted over and over. In another time, he would have wanted to present an aura of power but that didn't feel right here.

"I want them to feel a sense of freedom," he said finally. "There is nothing to hide, they are seeing me as I am."