anyone,” he warned me.
“Sometimes I just want to blow raspberries on your stomach to hear you neigh,” I replied.
“Please don’t tell anyone else that tonight,” he said.
“Not even Captain Bad-Touch?”
“Especially not Captain Bad-Touch.”
“I’m going to go dance,” I whisper-shouted at him.
So, of course, as soon as the King opened the ball with a wave of his hand and the brash clang of horns, I stalked over to him, bowed as low as I could without falling over, and demanded he dance with me.
The King laughed, then removed his outer robe and took my hand, leading me to the dance floor.
“I like the ruffles on your shirt,” I told him. “But that is the only thing I like about you right now.”
He began a waltz and I was nice enough to let him lead. It was close, though.
“You’re mad,” he said with a kind smile.
“I think I just told you that.”
“I want you to be happy.”
“I am happy.” And I was. Mostly.
“Happier,” he said.
“I’m the happiest I’ve been.”
“Are you?”
“Stop. I’ve been drinking. No analyzing. Did you know a man licked my hand because you told him I wanted him to take my flower?”
The King tripped but recovered gracefully, as kings are wont to do. “I can assure you that combination of words never came out of my mouth.” He was turning slightly red.
“He still licked my hand.”
“Who was it?”
“Captain Bad-Touch. I don’t know. Scar on his face. Rapey eyes.”
“Ah. That would Duke Waller of the Outer Banks. A shame, really. He came so highly recommended.”
“I would recommend him for euthanasia,” I said. “And I don’t want to know the criteria you came up with to vet out any less desirables.”
“I did nothing of the sort,” the King said. “I just had your stats and the date and time of the ball written on every tavern bathroom wall within a sixty-mile radius. There was no vetting.”
“Remember that one time I laughed at a joke you told?”
He grinned at me. “I do.”
“This is not going to be like that time.”
He laughed enough for the both of us.
I bit my lip. And then opened my mouth. “Is”— Ryan —“Justin happy?”
The King’s smile softened. “I think so. Love can do that to a man. Just look at them.”
And I did. I didn’t want to, but I did. They were dancing on the other side of the floor and they moved gracefully together. They were of an even height, and I was pretty sure that Justin’s hand was almost touching Ryan’s ass, which I absolutely was not staring at. Ryan had changed out of his armor and wore white trousers and knee-high black boots, almost like he was going riding. His black jerkin stretched tight against his chest and arms. And yes, they did look happy. Mostly. Maybe. I couldn’t quite figure out the look on Ryan’s face.
Ryan must have felt us watching them because he looked over and caught my eye. He frowned again, and I looked away quickly.
“I suppose,” I eventually said.
“He makes Justin happy,” the King said. “And I hope Justin can do the same for him. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Ryan smile.”
Which, odd. Because I’d seen it a few times. Earlier that night, even. And that morning.
“I still don’t know what that has to do with me,” I said.
The King sighed. “Sam, ever since the day Morgan brought you to the castle, I knew there was something special about you. It had nothing to do with your magic or whatever Morgan thought you would one day be. It had to do with the size of your heart. You have so much to give to people and I think you sometimes hide it behind your wit and words. I want you to find that someone who makes you feel complete, who allows you to let your guard down and just be .”
“I have you,” I said honestly. “And Morgan. And my parents and Tiggy and Gary. What more could I possibly need?”
“Someone to call your own,” he said.
“I have priorities,” I said weakly.
“Do this, and I’ll agree
“Sometimes I just want to blow raspberries on your stomach to hear you neigh,” I replied.
“Please don’t tell anyone else that tonight,” he said.
“Not even Captain Bad-Touch?”
“Especially not Captain Bad-Touch.”
“I’m going to go dance,” I whisper-shouted at him.
So, of course, as soon as the King opened the ball with a wave of his hand and the brash clang of horns, I stalked over to him, bowed as low as I could without falling over, and demanded he dance with me.
The King laughed, then removed his outer robe and took my hand, leading me to the dance floor.
“I like the ruffles on your shirt,” I told him. “But that is the only thing I like about you right now.”
He began a waltz and I was nice enough to let him lead. It was close, though.
“You’re mad,” he said with a kind smile.
“I think I just told you that.”
“I want you to be happy.”
“I am happy.” And I was. Mostly.
“Happier,” he said.
“I’m the happiest I’ve been.”
“Are you?”
“Stop. I’ve been drinking. No analyzing. Did you know a man licked my hand because you told him I wanted him to take my flower?”
The King tripped but recovered gracefully, as kings are wont to do. “I can assure you that combination of words never came out of my mouth.” He was turning slightly red.
“He still licked my hand.”
“Who was it?”
“Captain Bad-Touch. I don’t know. Scar on his face. Rapey eyes.”
“Ah. That would Duke Waller of the Outer Banks. A shame, really. He came so highly recommended.”
“I would recommend him for euthanasia,” I said. “And I don’t want to know the criteria you came up with to vet out any less desirables.”
“I did nothing of the sort,” the King said. “I just had your stats and the date and time of the ball written on every tavern bathroom wall within a sixty-mile radius. There was no vetting.”
“Remember that one time I laughed at a joke you told?”
He grinned at me. “I do.”
“This is not going to be like that time.”
He laughed enough for the both of us.
I bit my lip. And then opened my mouth. “Is”— Ryan —“Justin happy?”
The King’s smile softened. “I think so. Love can do that to a man. Just look at them.”
And I did. I didn’t want to, but I did. They were dancing on the other side of the floor and they moved gracefully together. They were of an even height, and I was pretty sure that Justin’s hand was almost touching Ryan’s ass, which I absolutely was not staring at. Ryan had changed out of his armor and wore white trousers and knee-high black boots, almost like he was going riding. His black jerkin stretched tight against his chest and arms. And yes, they did look happy. Mostly. Maybe. I couldn’t quite figure out the look on Ryan’s face.
Ryan must have felt us watching them because he looked over and caught my eye. He frowned again, and I looked away quickly.
“I suppose,” I eventually said.
“He makes Justin happy,” the King said. “And I hope Justin can do the same for him. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Ryan smile.”
Which, odd. Because I’d seen it a few times. Earlier that night, even. And that morning.
“I still don’t know what that has to do with me,” I said.
The King sighed. “Sam, ever since the day Morgan brought you to the castle, I knew there was something special about you. It had nothing to do with your magic or whatever Morgan thought you would one day be. It had to do with the size of your heart. You have so much to give to people and I think you sometimes hide it behind your wit and words. I want you to find that someone who makes you feel complete, who allows you to let your guard down and just be .”
“I have you,” I said honestly. “And Morgan. And my parents and Tiggy and Gary. What more could I possibly need?”
“Someone to call your own,” he said.
“I have priorities,” I said weakly.
“Do this, and I’ll agree
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