It was not too long, however, that I began looking for a bridge. Twenty was a good age to be married. That and Eamon had decided that if I didn't find a woman soon, I was going to find my death on the end of some farmer's pitchfork or a smith's hammer for despoiling his daughter.
My search was a little more complicated at the time than it would be now. Firstly, with the exception of the Take-What-You-Want attitude of Teyrn Loghain, marrying outside the noble class was frowned on. Things have become a little more casual these days, fortunately. Secondly, we were still recovering from so many nobles perishing under the Orleisians, or executed by Fereldens if they had been sympathizers, or fleeing the country and never returning. Naturally, I wanted to find a woman who could handle occasionally sharing space with Isolde, which wouldn't be easy. Feelings about Orlais also ran much higher in those days, so soon after the war, discounting Isolde's own sparkling personality. Rainsfere is the next best thing to a court title, with a tiny patch of a land just large enough for a manor – it's a collateral title, meaning that I hold it as our father's younger son, rather than the heir.
Kiara was the daughter of a lord in the Southern Bannorn, one that had largely been ignored by Orlais as too small to bother. We met at someone's wedding feast, and carefully arranged to be at several other formal functions after speaking as dance partners. Her hair was coal black and her eyes were velvety brown.
Abruptly, though, discussions broke down before a formal engagement could happen. The grapevine informed me eventually that she had heard rumors that I had a mistress and a bastard son. They were apparently convincing rumors, since nothing more came of things.
I see that you worry, but I wasn't heartbroken; we weren't in love. We found each other attractive in body and mind, a typical match between those of our class. When I found out about the rumors, I was concerned about their origin, but thought nothing more of it.
Eamon and I had one conversation about it, and he suggested that I had some rival for her affections that had interfered. Shortly there after, she did wed someone else, and that seemed to put the matter to bed.