"So I am to —" she began, her tone growing snappish before she stopped herself, taking a deep breath. Several, in fact. It might have been easier if she closed her eyes, but she couldn't. Not as they walked.
After she steadied her nerve, she began again. "If my parents make the arrangement, I will have no say in who I am to marry. I know I cannot expect a love match, but I would at least appreciate a bit of agency in the matter. Or at least someone I can tolerate."
make the most of the turning tide
it just split what's left of the burning silence