[ Childermass is terrible at comfort, giving and accepting. It's hardly the Ringmaster's fault he shrugs it off, dwelling on possible outcomes instead. Her question does put an end to his pacing (what little there is of it, anyway), though, and he looks her way again.

Does it? He frowns, brow furrowing, an expression one might expect to mean 'yes, it does', only— ]

Why would it? What happened to some Queen eons ago only matters now that the Winter Court is using it as an excuse. [ Which brings them to a different, similarly important topic. ] So did you? Did you eat the Winter Queen?