Eira tried to hide her surprise as he spoke so candidly about his attraction to her.  It was not at all what she had expected, she had been almost certain that her father had been the one who wanted to keep the lines between them separated.  “I...I...” She attempted to respond, but was unsure what to say.  He seemed to sense that and had changed the subject to accommodate any embarrassment she might feel.  Eira let her mind turn back to Lord Bennington and the situation she found herself in.<br/><br/>“He...would make a good ally, but a horrible husband.”  It had not taken her long to figure this much out. “He enjoys being adored, so his stories are often more grand and lovely than any reality would be, but his army is well trained and rather large...and I...I really had nowhere else to go.  My home is invaded by imposters and they would see me dead if I returned on my own.”  There were still pockets of people who were loyal to her father, but Lord Brendan had spent most of the winter swaying her people and her father’s military to his side.<br/><br/>“I need to do this carefully.  Perhaps find a bride for Bennington so I can maintain his help without giving myself to him.”  She lifted her eyes to Ylrid’s and held his gaze for a moment.  Dragon’s were still a rare thing in this world, a thing of magic and mystery far beyond people’s understanding.  His offer to fly away was tempting but she could not leave her father’s legacy in tatters as it was now.  “I apologize, I should have acknowledged your answer to my question.  I...don’t know what to say, I expected you did not reveal yourself for your own safety or mine, but for fear of attraction...I am not sure what to say.”