Upon seeing the look of surprise on Bethen's face, Ordhan immediately felt guilty. He had assumed that Falina's comment had been obvious enough, though looking back he knew his own literal mind may have been confused. Too hastily, he had dispelled whatever doubt Bethen may have had. It was not that he thought of illiteracy as something to be embarrassed about; it was common in Ferelden, and he was not much younger than Falina when he had learned. Then again, his was a more sheltered life, and he was not thrust into the world of Wardens and war until much later. He was her age when in the guard, but even in Ferelden's greatest city most had little to no grasp on the written word. But the young mage looked embarrassed, and Falina looked embarrassed, and the awkwardness of the moment hinged on his own remark. Luckily, Bethen's politeness and Falina's amiability seemed to smooth it over. It was hard to imagine either becoming truly upset at one another or at him, but he was relieved nonetheless. Remaining silent seemed a better idea by the moment.
Falina responded to his offer with a smile nonetheless. He responded with one of his own, expression slight, but no less meant. Had he another moment's chance for introspection, he may have realized that he could be seen as treating her as a child; he had once enjoyed being read to, having learned late, but he was still young at the time. Despite the knight's cautious self-examination and choice of words, things sometimes slipped beneath his realization. "Perhaps," he responded. "I am not sure what Cormac already told you, but I would be glad to. There is a lot to know." A pity that he did not have the skill to weave words into the thrilling tapestry of tale, as his friend the skald did. He probably had the same skill in storytelling as he did in tour-giving.
Hardly after he had managed to reign in his anxious curiosity, it was rekindled as Bethen offered to answer more in the future. He would need to summon the courage for it, as usual, but Ordhan was not about to let himself part ways with a keep full of mages without inquiring at least once.