She stood still as Jezin spoke, contemplating his reasoning with the same tired look she'd been wearing most of the day. For an instant, she felt the other man was shortsighted, selfish, even. The obvious question, and its oft repeated answer, always came to mind. Why was a princess' smile worth more than all of the people suffering out in the streets and battlefields? Of course, a princess left alive could do more to protect them than one soldier. She hadn't heard such from Jezin, but part of her thought that a man who could think only about doing his job, in simple terms without the bother of what it meant to the world, was a lucky one. That was an assumption on her part, she didn't know him, and her conscience reminded her of that. "I imagine she's touched. It's a wonder she enjoys herself so, with that sort of incident hanging over her head." Royalty were targets enough as is, those with opposition dedicated enough to break into their palace and nearly bypass the guard were not often seen in public, much less abroad and without a protective detail. If anything, it spoke to the faith placed in Jezin and his skill. Maybe he'd done well to prove it in tournaments, and the thought brought a smile to her face.