Ingrid could recognize Henry's hesitance. He was just like the previous duke in that way.
The way the men had to get those swords made them valuable extensions of themselves considering how close they had been to giving their lives just to pass a test for the king.
The older woman gave the knight a reassuring smile and she held out both of her hands.
"Give me your sword," she requested. "You may want to put back on your gloves."
He had tucked them neatly into his thick brown belt because he felt wrong wearing gloves that had covered his hands for days on end while he was inside such a clean place. When she requested his sword, he raised his eyebrows.
"I don't mean to doubt you, but it's quite heavy," he warned.
"I've been in the north a while, your grace," she said with a small smirk. "I wouldn't have survived this long if I was on the weaker side."
