“If he lives,” I promised God, “I will do anything. Anything you ask. Anything at all. Just, God, please. Please let him live. He doesn’t deserve this. This is my fault. This should be my fate, my punishment. Tell me how to-!”
“Princess?”someone asked.
I stumbled out of prayer, opening my eyes with such horror, relaxing only at the sight of Ser Willoughby standing near the door. His arms were folded, coolly.
“It’s the middle of the night,” he added. “I didn’t expect to find you here. I thought this was Miss Jocelyn’s shift.”
“She’s still off,” I said. “I sent the other girl to bed.”
He paused, resting a hand to his belt.
I sat up, looking closer at him. “...Miss Jocelyn’s shift, huh?”
He tensed.
“And so late, cousin?” I asked. I grinned. “Did you come in here tomisbehave?”
“No, I-”
I scoffed, delighted. “You did,” I said. “You absolutely did! Look at you! You’re not even in yourarmor.”
He shifted, releasing his arms. “Contain yourself, Your Highness,” he said.
“Why should I? You clearly have no intention of containing.”
He bobbed his head, slower. Then hinted at a smirk. “I didn’t come in here to misbehave.”
“Said the liar.”
He gave me a look. “I didn’t come in here to misbehave,” he repeated. “I came in here to check on Mr. Evergreen. The fact that I am not in my armor is just what it is. It wasn’t intentional. I came from bed.”
“You’re in day clothes, not your nightwear. And I literally live where I live and I have never once seen you without your armor. Not since we were children.” I glanced back at Cyrus. “But fine.I’ll heed the correction and ignore the obvious intentionality of it all. If I must. ...How’s your bruise?” I asked.
“It’s alittlemore than a bruise, Your Highness. But it’s fine, basically gone. Thank you for asking.”
“Your Highness.” I met his eyes, narrowing mine. “That’s twice now. Are we back to titles, cousin?”
Willoughby shrugged. He took a moment. “The Lord Commander was unhappy I was late to aid you at the fire. He asked where I was, if not beside you. Why I had left you alone with Mr. Evergreen.”
“And youtoldhim?” I checked. “You’re supposed to lie, you absolute imbecile!"
“We had a discussion. I was reprimanded,” he said. “It’s resolved.”
I frowned. “You were reprimanded. Formally? Or just by Elías’s scolding?”
“Formally,” he said.
“But that goes on your record, Daniel,” I said. “The King will see it. He reviews those. They affect your ability to rank.”
“It’s alright,” he replied.
“It is not alright. You were scolded because of something I did,” I said. I scoffed. “No. I’ll take care of it.”
“I cannot allow you to do that,” he said. “You can’t just fix things because I’m your cousin.”
“I’m not fixing it because you’re my cousin. Your brother is my cousin, too, and if Elías tore into him, I wouldn’t fix anything. I would allow it–encourage it even. The Lord Commander is fielding his own frustrations of not being at that fire himself. Don’t read into it as criticism of your performance. It’s no one's fault but my own, and I will not have you punished for my mistake. I’ll have it stricken from your record as soon as I see him tomorrow.”
“Your Highness, that fire, that attack, it was not your fault,” he said. “You’re not burning and robbing homes. They are.”
