After Zed left, Kirin came out of my bedroom. The walls were not soundproof, so he had heard the conversation between us. He looked at me with a mixture of worry and relief in his eyes. He came up to me and hugged me.
I was shocked at first at his sudden show of affection. He had always been distant with me before yesterday, but I guess he was opening up now that he had made his intentions known. I leaned onto his chest and let him comfort me.
I wasn't upset, but a little disappointed that I had to turn down Zed's proposal. I knew he liked me when we first met, but I had hoped he would change his mind after getting to know my personality. As I told him, we were not compatible. He wanted a docile and submissive wife. I would never be that for him or anyone.
I asked Kirin, "So, you heard that?"
He replied with, "Hmm. Are you ok?"
I looked up into his grey eyes, and my gaze softened as I replied, "I'm ok. I only like him as a friend, and I hope that he can find a wife who is better suited to his personality. I'm too independent and adventurous for a man like him."
Kirin thought about it and nodded, "I agree! That is exactly why I like you so much. You are different from the other women. I want to invent new things with you and go on adventures together."
I smiled at his words. I knew that he was my type of man. He would not stop me from pursuing my passions, but support and encourage me. I was lucky to find a man like him in this world, and I told him, "I'm so lucky to find a man like you here. I'm also lucky that you have such a loving family."
His smile was genuine at my words. He leaned forward and kissed my forehead. I blushed. This was moving very quickly for this world's standards, but it felt right. Sometimes, you just know when it's right.
He smiled and replied, "Speaking of family, my mother and father will be delighted to know that you have accepted my courtship. Hopefully, we can get married in the spring."
I smiled and looked away in embarrassment. I knew that courtships were not very long in this novel. They were usually just long enough for the family to build a home for the new couple. Since it was the beginning of winter, and the mountains had such harsh winters, they would not be able to build until the weather warmed up a little.
This would allow us to have a few months of an engagement period. I would be able to see him every day until the snow became too heavy. Then, we could write letters to each other. I felt like a teenager in love for the first time.
I started to imagine our home and our new life together. "I want a two or three-bedroom house with the new indoor water heating system," I informed him.
He nodded and responded dotingly, "That should not be a problem. My father and I can work on the heating system over the winter. We are almost finished with the one for this house, and it should be easier to replicate it for our new home. Do you have any other requests?
I thought about it, and couldn't think of any at the moment. "I'll leave it to you and your father to decide. I like this house and your home, maybe a blend of both."
Kirin nodded and bit his lips as he thought about it. "That should be easy enough."
At this moment, the front door opened, and Al came inside. He saw us hugging and raised his eyebrow in a silent question. Kirin took a step back respectfully and greeted him, "Clan Leader Al, I came to formally announce my intentions to court and marry Alisa. I would like your blessing."
Al's eyebrows went up in surprise, "Is that why you are here during the day?" He looked towards me and asked, "What do you say, Alisa? Should I give him my blessing?"
I knew that he was teasing me, so I smiled and blushed slightly, "Yes, I accept him. Please give us your blessing as the Clan Leader and my cousin-in-law."
Al smiled at my answer and wanted to tease me further, but decided to act more professionally in his Clan Leader duties. "It would be my honor to give the two of you my blessing. We can hold the wedding in the spring. Katie will be thrilled. She and Abby will want to plan everything!"
Kirin looked relieved that Al had given his blessing. Since he was the Clan Leader and had the blessing of the mountain spirits, Al presided over all weddings in Kanta. His blessing could ensure the couple would have a happy marriage.
I had read about the blessing of the mountain spirits in the original novel, but didn't expect it to be so tangible. I could actually feel it when he gave us his blessing. I felt happier and hopeful for the future. The mountain spirits were magical!
Kirin thanked Al for his blessing and hugged me goodbye before he left to go tell his family. I smiled at him as he left and rolled my eyes as Al chuckled. He was back to his teasing mode.
"So, is that why you were up so late last night? He finally confessed his feelings for you?" He dragged out the question in a playful tone.
I sighed and replied, "Yes, he confessed after dinner when his mom asked if I was single. I guess he thought that I was engaged with Zed, but I cleared up the misunderstanding. Zed also came by to confess, and I had to friend-zone him. Ugh!"
Al laughed at my dramatic explanation. He treated me like his little sister and loved to tease me, but in a loving big-brother kind of way. "Is that why I saw Zed storm off when I was headed home? Poor guy." He sympathized with Zed.