I Will Be the Greatest Knight-Chapter 433: Avoiding the Topic

The two Litharion teenagers were determined to catch as much as they possibly could, because by the time they returned to their cabin, Irene had four fish under her belt while Arne had three. Best believe that she was bragging and would be bragging for days to come.

The children had used sharp hunting knives to thoroughly clean, gut, and descale the fish. They were as ready as they could be to eat.

Out of courtesy, Irene knocked, but she opened the door and walked in otherwise.

The scent that met the two kids was wonderful, and Irene's stomach immediately growled at that. She and her brother had been eating dried fruits and jerky all day, but it didn't quite touch their insatiable appetites, especially after unexpectedly having to rescue someone from the ice and fight off a couple of goblins.

"What is that smell?" Irene asked in disbelief.

"To express our thanks, I used a bit of butter, potatoes, and herbs from our supplies if you'd like to have some with your fish," Thyra responded with a warm smile. "Let me cook those for you as well. A bit of salt and herb will go far with such fresh catches."

"How very thoughtful," Irene responded. "You two ought to take a fish or two yourselves to eat. They were quite big this year."

"We couldn't trouble you more," Frey responded from where he sat on a bed with a blanket over his shoulders. However, seeing that Irene's stare was a bit threatening, he corrected himself. "She and I will be more than satisfied to split one of the smaller fish. We have plenty of food to hold us over until we can catch our own."

Satisfied at that, Irene handed over some of her catch.

"The rest we should freeze," Irene stated. "It'll travel better that way."

"I'll take 'em outside and tend to the horses," Arne decided.

"Thanks," Irene said, as she finally was able to remove her boots and put her feet near the fire that the woman was cooking over. There was a fur on the ground that cushioned where she sat.

With a couple of strangers, there wasn't much to talk about. The silence felt heavy, and it seemed that Frey agreed because he posed a question to Irene.

"You said you're a knight, miss?" Frey wondered.

Irene's green eyes settled on the man as she quietly measured him up. Did he not believe her? Without armor and only a sword, it probably sounded like a lie.

"I am, sir," she responded politely. "I have been for a year now."

His eyebrows rose. He seemed quite impressed, and she felt instant relief spread through herself.

"Then I ought to call you 'dame,' shouldn't I?" he asked.

Irene smiled proudly. "Only if you would like to."

"There aren't many like you out there, are there?" he wondered. "Never seen a female knight myself."

"I'm the first and only so far," Irene admitted. "I hope one day there are more."

Thyra couldn't help adding her own thoughts. "A pretty girl like you... Your parents must be chasing away the other knights constantly. How many marriage proposals have you received since I imagine you're of age, correct?"

Irene somewhat balked at that, unable to believe the words she was hearing. Not often did someone call her pretty. Other than, well, her father, mother, and… she wished the Commander would. She felt her head grow hot.

"Not at all," she assured the woman. "I'm a bit too rough around the edges for marriage."

"Oh, it's nonsense," Thyra insisted as she tended to the slowly cooking fish. "I was quite rough as well growing up on a farm, but people still found me charming. Just have to find the right ones, even if it's not a nobleman."

Irene was so nervous about this topic that she missed the look Frey and Thyra shot one another. They were a very in-love couple indeed.

As Irene thought about it, she realized she had never wanted a nobleman before, but she had somehow caught the interest of one. Not just one but the highest in their entire duchy. But she felt uncomfortable telling them something so personal that even her own family was mostly unaware of.

"I'll keep your words in mind, but for now I'm merely enjoying being a knight," she admitted. "I would rather focus on the safety of the duchy than a relationship like that as it is."

"If you're a knight, then you must have met His Grace before," Frey realized. "What's he like? The tour around the duchy didn't get this far."

"Is he as handsome as everyone says?" Thyra wondered.

It was a bit too much to handle, but Irene managed to pull herself together.

"His Grace is a fair and honest leader," she admitted. "He was just what Chemois needed when he was appointed. Our knighthood is better off with him at the head. And, ah…" She treaded lightly. "His appearance is as they say, but his achievements so far have overshadowed that."

"What a diplomatic response," Thyra teased. "I suppose someone's looks get lost on you if you see them every day."

Irene could only nod.

She wished that were the case for her, but no matter how much she tried, his looks never seemed to be 'lost on her' and it was affecting her performance as a knight whenever he was around.

Fortunately, that type of conversation ceased because Arne came back into the cabin, smelling like the freezing cold winter, with a red nose and cheeks that matched his hair.

"The fish are somewhere high, so hopefully nothing can get them," he explained as he began to remove his outer coat and boots to join Irene on the floor.

"Perfect," Irene responded as she scooted over, making room for him.

"What about you?" Frey wondered. "Will you join your sister as a knight?"

Arne raised his eyebrows for a moment, finding the questions a bit unexpected, but he answered as politely as he could.

"I train with knights whenever possible, but my focus is on making myself a worthy heir of our parents' lands," he explained, surprising Irene yet again with a mature response.

But Irene noticed a bit of a dark look reach her brother's face, and she couldn't help worrying a bit about what it meant. She had taken him on the fishing trip so that he would feel better after their spat.

For now, she would push it to the side and merely observe her brother before she would be pushier with questioning. After all, she still had quite a while for the snow to melt, and when she would return to the Duke's Tower.

"An honorable young man," Thyra complimented. "I'm sure your parents are thrilled to have two good children."

Luckily, the older woman's words were enough, and the focus went elsewhere.

Soon, the fish was finished cooking, and everyone ate their fill of the deliciously seasoned meat. At the end of everything, they still had four fish to bring home and present to their parents.