Sam stood again. “Listen. I want to-”
“–I should–Oh.” I paused, realizing I had trampled his words. “Your pardon, what is it?”
“I wanted to thank you,” he said.
“Thank me?”I frowned.“Why?”
He looked around the room. Then smiled. “For this. All of this. For not abandoning me in my hour of need.” He stepped closer. “For so valiantly taking the reins when I could not. Forstanding up to father and now, for sitting with my dearest companion while he fights this fever. For letting me sleep. For letting me… The list just goes on and on. I’ve been a fool not to see it until now. Until this.”
He gestured to his friend.
“It’s nothing,” I said. “I just–”
Then he silenced me, in theworstway possible, with a kiss. I reeled back like a malfunctioning fishing pole, nearly snapping at the spine, but the way he held meinsistedupon deepening the kiss. I smacked him, loudly, and square across the face.
Sam let go of me. He touched his jaw. Then apologized. “I’m sorry,” he said, offering it more than once. “I’m sorry.”
I didn’t, Icouldn’tsay anything.
“I’m sorry for everything,” he said. “Are you?” He paused, then glanced down at the bed, speaking quieter.“Are you and Ser Elías an item then?”he asked. “May I ask that?”
“What?”I gagged at the thought. “Ser Elías?”
“Yes. Your knight. Is he the reason you won’t kiss me?” he asked.
“What? You’ve been having an affair since before I arrived in Chalke and it’s not stopped despite my begging. You thinkSerElíasis why I won’t kiss you? Not Agatha? Not the fact that we don't get along?Elías!My knight? He’s old enough to be my father, you pervert!”
Sam looked past me into the hall. “Old enough to be your father? He looks twenty.”
I shook the dumb look off my face like I’d been dazed. “Willoughby? You think that I’m involved with SerWilloughby?That’s so much worse!”
“Ah!That’s his name!” He snapped his fingers. “Sorry, it’s difficult to keep all you knights straight.”
“Two. There’stwoof them!” I said, counting on my fingers. “One. Two.”
“Then you deny it?”he asked. “You’re not involved with him?”
“Yes,I deny it!”
He was surprised and leaned back a little.“Come.He’salwayson your rides. Now it’s the middle of the night and you're playing make believe with him. I know an affair when I see it.”
“Ser Willoughby is my cousin! He’s like abrotherto me,” I said. I caught myself at the thought. “Ugh! How dare you make me say that out loud!”
“Oh.” But it pleased him to learn. He pocketed his hands, grinning. “Then you slap me not because of an affairyou’rehaving but… because of my own?” He recalibrated. “Wonderful.”
“Wonderful?” I growled. “Yes, very wonderful, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” Sam said. He met my eyes more earnestly. “I’m sorry. I should not have kissed you without your permission. I’m sure you’re very confused right now.”
“Unbelievably, Your Highness.”
He nodded. “Then I will do my best to rectify the injury I’ve caused you by my forwardness,” he said. “I want us to be close. I want to…”
“Towhat?”
“To be happy,” he said.
“Happy. In what regard?” I asked.
