Joseph's heart tightened.
He was not worried that he himself would be in danger—the Royal Guards had enough firepower to take down the entire pride—but Alexandra was standing far too close to the front and could easily be hurt.
He was about to pull the girl back when he suddenly noticed that the window was too narrow. The lion's head was wedged against the frame; it could not get in at all. The next moment, the male lion's gaze drifted toward the dozen or so gun barrels beside the girl. It immediately sensed an aura of extreme danger—it had seen hunters using firearms in West Africa—and its imposing manner instantly withered. It shook its head, then withdrew as though nothing had happened, releasing its claws and leaving the carriage. Alexandra also breathed a sigh of relief. Turning to Joseph and seeing that His Highness's expression was unchanged, she told the others in the carriage, "There's no need to be afraid. These wild beasts are actually more afraid of humans."
Indeed, she truly had little fear of these beasts. After all, her brother kept an Amur Tiger, and she often saw that "big cat," which was about the same size as the lion just now.
And Vasili—she had fed it too.
The passengers in the carriage stared blankly at the beautiful girl who had driven off the beast—her veil had fallen to the floor along with her hat earlier—then looked at the dozen or so pistols Kex and the others had pointed at the window. They felt as though they were dreaming.
Suddenly, a young noblewoman pointed at Alexandra and cried out, "You, you are..."
She had seen Alexandra twice from afar at balls in Versailles Palace.
Kex cut her off with a stern look, signaling for two of his men