After a brief struggle with selfish desires, Leal thought, 'If this is Hilde's destined path, it seems she would be in good company.'
With practiced mental agility, he avoided delving into the question of whether the same could be said where he was concerned.
Instead, he next thought about the Lord General's daughter. It wasn't that the possibility he might also be drawn to her hadn't crossed his mind. It was only that there was similar, and then there was similar.
The woman who was nearly of an age with him appeared to have a natural tendency to rub people the wrong way, yet she was not—strictly speaking—repellent. It was difficult to pin down what was making her tick, and Leal had a strong suspicion he wouldn't be able to puzzle her out without first stepping outside of himself.
He d
