"We have no choice in the matter. We never know from day to day who our ruler will be. You either live and breathe politics or you lose everything." There was a bit of bitterness in there. She still blamed their father for losing their fortunes. First the cargo ship that he'd invested in heavily that had been lost at sea along with her fiancee. And then secluding himself in the country when their mother died. He'd all but committed political suicide. So far, he'd maintained his title, and if he did die, she'd be a Marquise since she would share the title with her sister. It would be nice to have a title of her own, even if it was one far grander than she'd ever expected.<br/><br/>"Yes, if you ask for my hand in the light of day, I will consider it honestly. Here.." Turning slightly in his grasp, she lifted her hands and took a lock of his hair, braiding it down. "This is a promise lock, if you wear this, I will know your intentions are honest. It is sacred in my mother's clan." For a moment, there was a flash of doing this for someone else. Thinking once again of her lost fiancee, she let herself savor the bitter moment, before moving on to the present. As she braided, she thought about her dreams.<br/><br/>"I love hunting, I'm an excellent horsewoman and Austringer. Like any woman, I seek security in the world. I think it is one reason I have refused to become a mistress. No matter how good a contract, in the end, you are still left." She let him have a peek at her inner workings. Give a little, get a bit back. "I have a decent hand with sewing and accounts, but I have little taste for lies. I think perhaps that is why my political career does not grow as fast as I would like." she was speaking of herself as a singular. Something she did rarely. Truly, he was being treated. "There...finished." The braid framed his face, much like some of the more barbarian cultures, but it was a warriors mark, and normally only a woman to whom he'd promised himself had the right to braid it for him. It was a bold move, but one that would let HonorÃ¨ know he was serious about his intentions.<br/><br/>((Austringer is a word for a hunter who uses Hawks, or more properly Falcons))