"Do you mean to tell me, Lady, that Princess Hilde is currently playing hostess to a group of potentially-hostile foreigners?"
Her long fingers clasped on top of her desk, the Queen had spoken the words blandly, as though she were commenting on the state of the weather. Lady Ilse couldn't help notice, however, that the attitude of "we are family behind closed doors and should not stand on ceremony" had been dropped completely.
Queen Heloise continued, "And she could not handle a speedy travel, so they are moving at a slow pace—it will be another hour at least before they arrive here. Is that correct?"
Lady Ilse met the steady pair of gray eyes and nodded. "That is correct, Queen."
When she was unable to detect any trace of remorse from that response, the younger woman's eyebrows rose a
