Kyra invited him in and offered him tea and a piece of the cake Idalee had baked that morning. The girl’s cooking was rivaling Bella’s these days.
“Things are much better at the manor,” he told Kyra as they sat down at her table. “There’s still the occasional raid from the rebellious Demon Rider, but the number has dropped enough so that our family can handle the defense.”
“That’s good to hear,” said Kyra. “And your family, they are well and safe?”
“They are all well,” he said. “Henril will be returning to his post in the border patrols. Lorne will stay with Father a while longer.” He hesitated for a moment. “I…sent a message to Lord Salis in Parna with my regrets. Lady Cecile is a beautiful, intelligent, and amiable woman, but I do not think we would make a good match.”
Kyra had been drinking her tea, and she was grateful she had an excuse not to look at Tristam. She took a long sip while she composed herself behind the mug. “Will they take offense?” she asked.
“The family was not pleased, since we’d spent so much time on the negotiations, though my most recent demotion did make me a less favorable match.” He gave a wry smile. “Apparently, even Parnan families care about court reputation if it gets bad enough. As for Cecile…” And here he paused. “I didn’t know her well, but I think she might be happy for me. I can only wish her the best.”
Kyra wrapped her mug in her hands. It threatened to scald her skin, but she was too distracted to mind. “So that gives you some respite, then, before your da and your ma start thinking about another match for you.”
This time it was his turn to look down. He’d eaten his whole piece of cake, and he stirred the crumbs with his fork. “I’ve been speaking to them about other matches. They’ve always been reasonable on the subject of marriage, and now that our manor is no longer under direct attack, they were happy to hear my thoughts. We’ve talked about the new peace agreement with the Demon Riders. We’re hopeful that even if things don’t go completely smoothly from here on out, there might at least be some basis for coexisting.” He paused, and when he spoke again, it was with the expression of a man scaling a cliff without a safety rope. “I…mentioned to them that it might be good, though perhaps unconventional, to think about a match with one of their number.”
Kyra let go of her mug and wiped her damp hands on her trousers. Her heart beat strange rhythms against her rib cage. “Well, don’t set your sights on Adele,” she said. Her voice didn’t sound like her own. “Flick is a decent brawler, even if he doesn’t have a knight’s training.”
Tristam smiled at that, though his eyes were still uncertain. “No, I don’t have my sights set on Adele.”
It would have been easier to continue teasing him, but as Kyra met his eyes, she found it hard even to breathe, much less say anything clever. “I see…”
She swallowed, but it didn’t make her mouth any less dry. A long moment of silence stretched between them. Bits of birdsong drifted in through the windows, and still neither of them spoke.
Tristam cleared his throat. “I’m not asking you to marry me right away, of course. I mean, I’ve been gone a while, and with everything that has happened…I just thought…well…” He laughed at himself then, and put his fork down to take a deep breath and pull himself together. When he spoke again, his voice was calm but strong. “I love you, Kyra. You know that, don’t you? And I’d fight for a future for us, if you’ll have me.”
What a difference a few words made. The cottage itself seemed to hold its breath, waiting for her reply. “And what about what I am?” she asked quietly. “Would you tie yourself to someone like me?”