The moment she spoke up, the room fell silent again. Mystified, the crowd whispered in hushed, shocked voices. The knight widened his eyes and dropped his poised, solid stance for a moment, and the sword slipped from his grip though he didn't let go of it entirely.<br/><br/>"S-she can speak!?"<br/><br/>"Goddess above!"<br/><br/>The court slowly roused from their shock, a bit faster than before, and looked left and right for someone with answers. They were even more surprised than Shizuka that they could understand one another, but if this were her world they would at least have known she was just another human being, even if she looked a little different.<br/><br/>"H-How do you know our tongue, d-demon!" shouted the knight, raising the sword again but taking a cautious step back now. It was so absurd to see such a large and powerfully built man backing away from a small girl.<br/><br/>"Ahem." From behind the knight came a delicate cough, and as he stepped aside Shizuka could see the king and queen having descended from their thrones hand in hand. The knight attempted to speak up, possibly asking they stand back, but the queen coyly put her finger to the man's lips and smiled. "Is our brave Knight-Commander that afraid of a girl?" Together with her husband she held out her hand to Shizuka and beckoned her to come closer, a show of trust for their strange, unexpected, but badly needed hero.<br/><br/>"Come, sweet child," asked the king with what might be a gentle smile if one could see through that huge beard. "I welcome you to our kingdom, and humbly beseech of you: save it."