Liz nearly choked on her soup, barely avoiding doing just exactly what Ingrid had said and spitting it all over her husband's trousers.  She laid her spoon back down while she caught her breath, biting her bottom lip to keep from laughing out loud at the young princess.   Warm brown eyes regarded the beautiful blond for a moment, a stern look on her face.  Unable to keep the facade any longer that look melted into a smile.<br/><br/>She leaned close to Alexei to whisper into his ear.  "Please tell your sweet betrothed that she is an absolute breath of fresh air in this palace, and that I adore her already."   Liz would have normally taken that opportunity to flick her tongue across Alexei's ear, or breathe softly, letting the warm air caress the sensitive flesh there, but since he was sitting next to his soon to be bride, she didn't want to do anything to jeopardize their budding relationship.<br/><br/>Pavel wasn't so lucky however, for while she was speaking with Alexei, her hand was slowly creeping higher.  Delicate fingers creeping their way up to gently stroke him through the fabric of his trousers.  Her other hand grabbing hold of her skirt beneath the table and inching it slowly higher, knowing that he was getting an eye full of her stocking clad legs, but no one else could see.<br/><br/>When Yelkin approached the table with his young charge in tow, the Czarina smiled at them both in greeting acting for all the world as if nothing at all was going on beneath the table.  This time however, she remained quiet in order to let her husband answer the man concerning the girl's future.<br/>