Alexei was still angry at the man that hurt this woman in front of him. But his own nature told him that Ingrid needed him to care for her first, and be angry later. He looked over his shoulder and saw a familiar face in the corner of the room. He met the girl's gaze, and used his free hand to wave her forward.<br/><br/>"Well, unfortunately, winding back time is a task even the Romanovs have failed to master," he joked weakly. "This is Irina," he nodded toward the girl who looked to be fifteen, but who he knew to be nineteen. It was his business to know everyone who worked at the palace, he couldn't protect Pavel and Liz otherwise. "And I assume her presence here means Pavel intends to assign her as your lady-in-waiting," he explained.<br/><br/>"Your assumption would be correct, Lord Romanov," Irina replied, gently.<br/><br/>"So, Irina is going to run you a bath. Hopefully, the hot water will help relax those sore muscles." If there was one thing he knew about in all his years as a soldier, it was how to soothe sore muscles. "If it's still bothering you afterwards, we'll see about getting you a massage," he suggested, pleased when Irina curtseyed to her new Lady. The girl clearly understood that she was in too much pain for the moment to pay her much heed. He kept his gaze focused on Ingrid, sensing Irina move off to comply with his instructions. "Do not fret, lady. The fault for the incident at the dock does not lay with you," he reassured. The nature of men were that they were beasts. He knew he was no different, but his own nobility and discipline kept him from behaving as abysmally as those men. But it didn't mean that those baser instincts weren't there. And that was what made him angriest. If he could keep himself in check, why couldn't they? He shook himself out of his reverie when something else occured to him.<br/><br/>"Oh, if someone named baba offers you a home remedy to cure your pains, don't take it. She means well, but I'm worried that the remedy would be worse than the condition," he actually smiled in spite of himself. The old woman was a force to be reckoned with, and by marrying him, Ingrid would be at her mercy as well. Looking into her eyes, he was unaware that his thumb began to gently stroke her jaw. She seemed to be searching for something, and unfortunately, he had no answers for her. He was just as lost as she was in this arrangement.