[ Reiner sits stunned for a moment, half because his secret isn't a secret to Annie, half because of what she tells him. Shit, at least his mom had kept him. (Not that she would've had much choice. It was either keep him, or essentially admit she'd had an affair with a Marleyan.)

He guesses that means Annie's father was the Eldian. Not unusual, no. But unusual that her adoptive father took her in in the first place. ]

I'm sorry.

[ Not pitying, just empathetic.

He considers signaling for another drink as he admits, ]

I met mine once, after I became a Warrior. I believed that being an Honorary Marleyan meant we could all live together. [ He grimaces. ] It didn't go well.