Ingrid found herself smiling at Alexei's self-labeling as a "softy." Her expression grew serious again when he began to describe his ruthlessness against the enemies of his family. She knew without a doubt that he meant every word, including the vow to protect her as well.<br/><br/>"I thank you, my lord," she replied warmly, smiling hesitantly again at the handsome man before her. "But you need not have any fear for me. I am a king's daughter, and no stranger to treachery and danger at court. I shall look to you and the Czar and Czarina to teach me about our enemies, but once I know of them, I will stand at your side, just as strong in the resolve to protect our family!"<br/><br/>She paused a minute, blushing at her vehemence, but knowing that she meant every word of it. She was to be Ingrid Romanov now, a lady second only to the Czarina in the land as a leader of the people. This was more than a marriage, she remembered. This was the time of her life where she would step up to lead and guide the welfare of her new people, and to carry out her duty with just as much determination and fierceness as Elizabeth, Pavel and Alexei.<br/><br/>"I shall not let you down," she added firmly, then bit her lip, thinking of the one area where she very well might disappoint him...through no fault of her own.<br/><br/>"I...I also wish to...um...speak...of...to assure you that..." she stammered, unsuccessfully trying to broach the topic she had been instructed to reassure everyone on upon her arrival, that of her unquestionable purity. It had seemed so straightforward at the time to think of simply reassuring everyone matter-of-factly she was still a virgin, but now that the moment had come, and she was under the stormy blue gaze of this brutally handsome soldier before her, she found all she could do was blush a vivid rose.<br/><br/>She placed her hand on her chest, feeling her breasts rise and fall with her jagged breath and the hammering of her heart.<br/><br/>"What I mean to say is...you understand...the marriage contract states....that I...um..." she trailed off, utterly unable to bring herself to say such intimate things to Alexei, even though he'd be finding out for himself soon enough.