Question Sritti more closely.

Shaking her head, Solla returns to her duties. For as long as Donald is with Jana, the southerner is effectively in command of the women stationed in the caves, you imagine. You're left alone with the wide-eyed scout.

"An ale, my lord?" Sritti asks, obviously wishing to atone for her earlier faux pas. You shake your head. You've had quite enough drinking for now.

"Y-you know, the correct form of address for a king, at least in Itheria, is your majesty." You tease the scout.

"A hundred pardons, your majesty." Sritti responds, bowing her head. "I've never talked to a king before. Well, Coinneach, Donald's father, rode through me village when I was young, but he didn't take the time to talk to peasant lasses like me."

Not until their tits had grown out, you think idly.

"How are you finding Beatha, majesty? Is it your first time up here? Are you supposed to be up here with Prince Donald?" Sritti asks eagerly. You can sense the pride behind her homeland in her eager words.

"It... has its pleasures." You respond, thinking back on some of your misadventures. "Donald convinced me to venture up here. Aside from being ambushed by bandits, the trip's been quite enjoyable."

"Bandits?" Sritti responds, crestfallen. "Then that means..."

You nod.

"Luckily, we were able to see them off. Myself, Donald and Daena, we were more than a match for a few bandits." you inform her.

"Ach, she's something else, isn't she? The she-elf?" Sritti smiles, taking a gulp of her ale. "I dunno how the prince has any energy left for other women! If she was sworn to me, I'd never so much as set foot outside my tent. I-"

"You like to talk." You interject. "A little unusual for a scout."

"Aye, I always have, your majesty." Sritti admits. "It's got me reprimanded more than once."

"And this story, the Lady of the Mountain. Is that just talk?" You ask. Sritti shakes her head emphatically.

"Definitely not!" She responds. "Least as far as I experienced it. It happened, majesty, I'd swear on the Spirits, on the Prince, I heard what I heard!"

"And how far from here did you hear this... singing?"

"A few hours march. For a norm- for me, anyway, your majesty!" Sritti gulps, realising how she's just put her foot in her mouth.

"What's that supposed to mean?" You ask, an eyebrow raised. It was an innocuous comment, made in haste without anyone around to hear it, but you decide to tighten the screws on the scout anyway. Hell, a love of tooling with people was at least as much a part of your heritage as the ruling of men.

"Forgive me, your majesty, I didn't mean to remark on your... condition! I'm a fool, I beg you, I'll do anything to make up for my insult!" Sritti says, a red tint creeping into her pale complexion.