Trill's entire face lit up with joy, her eyes shimmering like the morning dew, as she eagerly prepared to tell her father that she wanted to marry me. Her steps were light and restless, like a young girl on the brink of sharing a long-held secret. Although the Chief had already offered me his blessing in a formal manner, it seemed that Trill longed to hear his approval spoken aloud, clear and direct from the man who had raised her.
Yet when she confessed her intentions, the Chief didn't even flinch. Not a twitch of an eyebrow and not a pause in his breathing. He simply gave her a calm, knowing look and said that she was free to choose. Whether she wished to marry me now or years later made no difference to him. It was her heart and her decision.
