[center][h1][color=ff5000][b]Renar Hagen[/b][/color][/h1][/center]

Something to behold? Oh, yes. Yes, it would be. Renar had long envisioned exactly how such a duel would play out, and now it was almost within reach. He just needed to hold on just that tiny bit more. Maintain all he'd built until then. Which meant shaking off the pleasant dream and returning to the situation at hand. 

At least the little chit had the right idea in a tourney such as this. For likely the wrong reasons, but still. Though that did beg the question...was she of age for that irritating little hundi ritual? As far as Renar recalled from cultural education and talks with Lein on the matter, the talk of a marriage duel had to be consensual on both ends. And while it would be both utterly hilarious and entirely necessary to see some people (Gerard) get shackled with a good noble marriage at last, the fact remained that Dame Lizaelea was foreign nobility. A possible wrinkle, despite the potential advantages. 

[color=ff5000][b]"Allow me to hazard a guess then, Dame. Is this a step upon your obligatory rite of marriage? If so, allow me to stop something at the pass: should we duel, I do not consent to it being one of potential marriage. Take solace in that this is hardly a slight against you so much as that I've obligations that I'm expected to meet."[/b][/color] He inclined his head in brief apology, catching Rolan's eye to implore him to not audibly wonder what Renar was talking about with that last bit.

Because it was worded exactly vague enough to be truthful, while obfuscating the fact that he didn't have a good excuse. He just wanted a more advantageous match for Thalnan politics.