Feeling his chest against her back made it harder to close off her emotions. His words on top of the action were like a spell. He was upset that she'd asked whom she should marry. He was upset that she had even considered it despite all of her fighting for so long. Nassir was upset about something she had no control over and he was saying that she could control it. To Tavyna, the only way she could control it was if Nassir was actually in love with her and wanted to marry her. If he said it, she would agree to it in a heart beat. But he wasn't saying it. All he said was that she wouldn't be marrying either of those men in her father's palace.
Tavyna stayed against his body for a long while. Then there were those words that she might be casting a spell on him. What did he mean by that? He also said I presumed too much. He has said for me to order him almost as if he wishes I would... Oh, Allah, help me... her thoughts were still chaotic. Nassir was so hard to figure out. His words were cryptic nearly all the time. Tavyna only knew what he was thinking when he was sulking and even then sometimes it was hard to discern. Then perhaps I should ask him. Confront him about it all right here, right now. I haven't done that yet. All I've done is presume and guess at what he is thinking. It's time to stop doing that and find out the truth of his thoughts.
With that decided, Tavyna turned around in his hold and looked up at him. Her gaze was filled with the determination she was feeling and her voice left little room for uncertainty. She wasn't about to order him to tell her what he was feeling and thinking, but she did want answers and her tone expected nothing less.
"Tell me, Nassir. You say that I presume too much. You say that I will not marry those two men. You say that it isn't against your will. So then what am I to do? What are you thinking? What are you feeling? Did you kiss me because you felt pity for me, or was it something else?"
Tavyna stopped and took a breath. Her next questions were probably the hardest to get out of her mouth. Even so, Tavyna was going to ask because she was tired of waiting for the answer to come along on its own, or for Nassir to figure it out himself, whatever that was.
"Tell me, Nassir. Are you in love with me? Will you marry me?"