I don’t really trust the parties here, so I didn’t want to be completely unarmed. [Still, a pocket knife is not a sword or a pistol or anything else that’ll actually protect them, should the maze be full of anything trying to hurt them. Koby’s already thought ahead to the likelihood of guiding whatever creatures they may encounter away from Alicent, relying on his speed and smaller size to outrun them, then somehow circle back to her.

The question makes him look upwards, over the tops of his glasses, eyes wide and slightly bewildered, for a moment. He’s cut through all the layers of the dress, and is busily cutting the long strips into smaller, easier-to-tie ones, without even looking down at the quick, smooth movements of his hands. Like tying knots, like mending sails, muscle memory.]

I was a Marine, at home. That’s sort of a soldier, I guess? Not quite a knight, though, I’m not as talented as all that. [Rising, he gives Alicent a handful of the strips of fabric, offering a little smile.] Just a soldier. We can go at a slow pace, but let me know if you need to rest, okay?