Everyone quieted and turned to her.
What she had truly wanted to ask was "Could your dignity handle it?"
Hilde's primary aim was to keep the Lyseans from getting physically harmed, but if her chosen method would make them feel demeaned and disrespected, she would understand and try to come up with another way. Even other Arnicans would have easily felt insulted—were their safety only worth THAT much?
The person addressed was showing a complex expression she couldn't even begin to unravel, but the scowl she had expected to find there was missing.
To be completely honest, she'd also been expecting responses like "I'd rather die!" or "Who do you think I am?!" from the foreign royal who must be accustomed to having the best of everything. Clearly, though, she was being very unfair in he
