Inside, Kiara was panicking. The guards were right. In her current state, she did not look like a princess. In fact, it was likely that she had even forgotten how to act like one during her weeks away from the palace. Not completely of course, but it was harder to supress who she was this time around. After being able to finally express it... it was as if she were dying. Worse. It was as if she were killing herself.

But, deep down, she knew exactly how she was supposed to act. A princess did not look at Ostus uneasily when he gave up his weapons. She did not voice her surprise or annoyance with him for doing so. She did not mention that she'd noticed the archers or the looks the guards were giving her. What a princess did was act as if no one were on her level. As if she were above anyone and everyone. So of course she said, "No."

Her laughter was cold and not amused in the slightest. "You must be delusional." As she spoke, she adopted a haughty tone that Ostus had probably never heard her speak with. "I will not be insulted. You expect me to walk into enemy territory without a single weapon? Honestly. Do you think me a fool?"

She paused for a moment, staring the guards up and down in a dismissive manner. "If you don't believe I am who I say you could easily kill me for carrying a weapon, correct? But if I [i]am[/i] the princess, you will have committed treason against [i]your[/i] country as well as my own by destroying a truce we are in the middle of making." Though she was shorter than him, the look Kiara gave the one talking was obviously meant to make him feel small. Her voice was icy as she said her final words. "Now are you really willing to take that chance?"