OK, I've got a word I want to use. I've seen it used dozens of times, but my mind is blanking, and my facebook friends haven't gotten it yet. It's like a combination of respect, embarrassment, and shame. But like respect for someone who normally doesn't recieve it. Anyone know it?
A combination of respect, embarrassment and shame is not logical at all. Feeling shame embarrassment at something is almost the opposite of feeling respect, and likewise when this feeling is about someone else. Only word I can come up with now is disdain, but that does not involve respect at all.
OK, the scene in my story is a princess and her servant. They've recently survived an ambush. The princess says "just be careful, I wouldn't want to lose you." I (the servant) detected a hint of _____ in her voice. This would be a huge breach of etiquette on her part. The princess is basically showing respect to someone who, by the laws, is not supposed to receive it.
I'm thinking 'impropriety' or maybe more accurately, 'indecorum,' but I doubt neither is what you're thinking of.
Approbation Acknowledgement Gratitude I suspect that none of these are it but they might start you on a thesaurus hunt?
I'm going for 'unease' or 'awkwardness' as the three elements mentioned above are incongruous and would likely give rise to such a feeling.
Do be careful here! I recently had to write something similar (not a princess and a servant, but close enough *smile*) and it's embarassingly easy to make this Not-Believeble! As an aside, I would suggest eliminating this sentence with the missing word and rewording her unvoiced reaction to her words. No one can detect humility in a voice (and a hint at that). Let her look away uncomfortably, or whatever is Not in character The reader will get the hint, neverfear Good Luck!
