“Regardless, it was not a smart move. What if someone notices?”

“Not doing my duty would have been more noticeable, my lady.”

“I don’t mean that – the guardsman nearly took your head off for just looking at me. If there’s even a suggestion-!”

“Princess, it’s nothing. Threats are almost part of the job – it’ll take more than that to scare me nowadays. Don’t worry so.”

She sighed and stalked over, immaculate dress gliding just far enough off the ground to remain perfectly clean. He could never work out how she did it.

“The guardsmen are not what you would think, Dabrose. They’re so much more than guards for my mother, understand?”

“I-”

“Just let them deal with the Key. Let’s get you a replacement cloak and a spot next to the fire. The shot didn’t go through the cloak, did it? Quartermaster Malure says we’re running out of cloaks.”