The things that Gunnar hid from even his own family were things he felt it was best they did not know. They did not need to truly know how much the death of his daughter hurt him as a man. It wasn't truly his place to do much more than defend his immediate family, yet his eldest daughter was dead. To him, that was a failure of the first order. Yet other than his unscheduled disappearance from the scene, no one would be able to say definitively what he felt about the situation.
"Much has gone on of late," he agreed, letting the necklace fall back into place at his chest. "Your Uncle Lucien's disappearance then return. My own choice to be gone. Your mother's ascendence to the throne. The death of your sister. So much to bear." Though the words seemed grave, he did not appear distressed. Of course, if Gunnar appeared distressed perhaps there was truly something worthy of worry.
He reached up to run one hand along her cheek. "Don't fret, little Liddy." That smile was still there, on his lips and in his eyes. "All will be well again."
Gunnar had confidence in that. Given time, all things would return to the peace they had known, however tenuous it may have been.