Ingrid's heart skipped a beat when she heard her betrothed's voice through the door. The deep, strong, confident voice sent new, but very pleasant chills through her body, and the thought of him seeing this much of her exposed was both scary and exciting.<br/><br/>Would he touch her? What would it feel like to have him touch her?<br/><br/>She swallowed a lump of excitement in her throat and ran to the door and pulled it open herself. Her cheeks were burning, and she smiled up at Alexei, trying very hard to contain her pleasure at seeing him. To better hide her emotions, she dropped a deep, deep curtsy before him, then kept her eyes modestly downcast.<br/><br/>"Good evening, my lord," she said softly, unsuccessfully trying to bite back her smile. "I thank you for coming to escort me."<br/><br/>She risked a small glance up at him, and her smile went from sweet to mischievous. "For if you hadn't come," she added. "I would have surely gotten lost in the palace and ended up missing dinner, and if there is one thing that makes me cross, it is to miss out on food."