“Miss, please. I was just daydreaming out loud.”
“I don’t mind. Daydreaming is nice. And it helps to be prepared in life. Perhaps if your friendship does blossom into love, we might catch His Majesty on the perfect day, and then fair better asking to wed?”
“Wed?”She was horrified.
“Or we could wait for my reign, but that is an awful long time for me. I’m not sure how soon Willoughby would decla?—”
“No, I didn’t say anything about Ser Willoughby declaring himself!”
“Isn’t that why friendships stir?” I asked. “I’m sorry, I assumed it must be love you were fostering. It’s so complicated, and Ser Willoughby is just so?—”
“Love is not something I’ve evenconsidered,”she said. “And also, did you not just say Mr. Evergreen wasyourfriend?”
“That’s different.” I scoffed. “Mr. Evergreen is Sameer’s best friend, it’s?—”
“Complicated?” she asked.
“Josie.”
“My apologies. I don’t like to beteased.”
“I’m not teasing you,” I said.
“He is a knight, miss.”
“Aye, and I am a princess. You are a maid. That chair is a chair.”
“What?” she asked.
“I don’t care about your station,” I said. “Why does everything think I do? Frankly, I’ve never understood the importance. We’re born this way; we don’t choose who we are. If you like him and he likes you, who amIto deny you your perfect match if you think you’ve found him…inSerWilloughby,no less. Are yousureit is not love?”
“What are you saying?” she asked.
“Well, he’s so…goofy,” I said.
“He isn’t goofy; he’s got a sense of humor. And have youseenhim in the yard?” she asked, then giggled. “My, he’s proper fit.”
“Ser Willoughby?” I frowned. “My cousin?”
“Don’t think of him as your cousin,” she said.
“Gross.”
“You should know, he certainly could not speak higher of you if he tried.”
“Oh, he speaks highly of me?” My face contorted. “So I should comment on his body? No way. And, and I don’t believe that’s true. I am awful to him.”
“He’s never said if that’s the case. He admires the contrasts between you and your father.”
“Between me and– Did hesaythat?” I asked.
“Yes. He said he admired your individuality.”
“He specifically said there was a contrast between the King and I?” I asked.
“Yes, miss.”
“Well, I, well. That is, that is a nice thing to consider,” I said. “I don’t wish to be my father.” I closed my mouth. “Don’t repeat that.”
