The knight had glanced at her for only a moment after his comment was made, just enough to catch her look at him in return. He could not read what he saw there, a thing that stirred up more hesitation than it ought to have. His attention was back on the bowl in his hands and the stream water running over his knuckles, the stubborn flecks of food sticking to the wood.
He dipped his head in a slight nod as she began, and the brief pause that she allowed seemed to drag on for quite some time. That she had guessed the subject of his approach, if not the exact question, was no surprise. His methods were not subtle on the best of days, and Lillian could read him better than nearly everyone. Though he remained externally impassive, he cringed inwardly. There was accusation in her words, if not her tone. Ordhan kept his eyes on his hands as he constructed his next sentence in his mind, word by word. Had she kept silent earlier simply because of her place in the group? Would she be as strong-willed as Lalin on this matter?
"I meant to ask you how you know her," he answered softly. Though he did not look at her, his brows drew together in a slightly pleading expression down at the stream.