Sun Mote Copse time's the revelator

There had been moments, when Wraen had toyed with the idea of allowing Arthur to be more than a friend to her. All spinsters her age do along with becoming less picky on whom they threw themselves at, except my heroine had lived a rather sheltered life either among siblings or close relatives or with couples, who were already happily mated. Sometimes she wondered of all the "what if"s, painted pictures of familial bliss in her mind, imagined children she would have (daughters preferrably, but she would have been glad to have either), but they always remained dreams. Beautiful, but not real. Not for her, not in this life.

Arthur's honest answer did not surprise her, she had known it even before asking, she had just wanted to hear him say it. The truth did not stung or disappoint her, it made her realize there and then that even if there had been the slightest idea of her ever being with him as a wife, she had to put it away now. She could give him all of the world, except that one thing he truly wanted - a family. And she knew that in the beginning he would be ready to give up that dream, hope even that she was not right about her inability to have children, but over time that understanding and sacrifice would grow into resentment. The last thing Wraen wanted was to see coldness and hate in the eyes that had once been lit by warmth and adoration. 

She chewed her lip and bought time before answering: "No. I am not. It has not yet happened." With this she was done playing the game for the day. "Let's see, what's Towhee been up to," she suggested, catching a whiff of Regent's scent nearby and using it as an excuse to do something else. 

Last one from me. Thanks! :)