“I would be honored, my lady.” The prince flashed a charming smile in her direction before turning once again to Josselyn. “And it would be an even greater honor if you would allow me to claim the first two dances, princess.”
Josselyn's stomach sank. She glanced at her father out of the corner of her eye, and he gave her an almost imperceptible nod. The things we must do in the name of peace.
“Of course, Your Highness, that would be... delightful.”
“Excellent.” His eyes darkened. “I'll be looking forward to it.”
Chapter Three
“And then the bastard turns around and asks my father! As if I'd never even said anything!”
Josselyn parried Edmund's practice sword with her own, lunging forward and thrusting it into the middle of his chest. “Geez, Edmund, I hope you fight better than this against the other knights. How embarrassing.”
Edmund wiped the sleeve of his tunic over his face, mopping up some of the sweat that was pouring off him. He let his sword drop to the ground as he bent over, hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.
“Joss, honey, you're killing me. We've been dueling for two straight hours. For the love of all that is holy, just... give me a moment, will ya?”
“First off – don't ever call me honey again.” Josselyn pointed her sword at Edmund's head. “You will regret it.”
He lifted one hand in surrender. “Duly noted, Your Highness.”
“Second off – a real battle could last for hours. If you don't have the endurance to push through to the end, you'll wind up dead.” She softened her gaze. “And losing you would kill me. So you see, your kingdom is depending on your survival.”
He huffed a laugh, standing up and throwing an arm around her shoulder. Turning them both so that they faced the wall where Alex stood off to the side, arms behind his back and eyes alert, he called, “Did you hear that, Alex? Josselyn just confessed her undying love for me! I'm too charming to resist.”
Josselyn jabbed an elbow into his side.
“I did no such thing, you goon. Don't go filling his head with your nonsense.”
The corner of Alex's mouth lifted in a half smile. “Rest assured, Your Highness, I make it a point to ignore anything that comes out of the cretin's mouth.”
Edmund chuckled as he walked over to the bench where he'd left his surcoat and sword belt. He dropped down onto the bench, clasping his hands behind his head and leaning back against the wall. Closing his eyes, he smirked.
“Me thinks the gypsy boy is jealous.”
Letting out a snort, Josselyn rested her hands on her hips. “Jealous of what? Your noxious body odor?”
Edmund's lips twitched, but he didn't respond. Josselyn huffed in frustration, taking a few practice swings with her sword before turning her attention to Alex.
“Duel with me?”
Alex frowned at her. “I do not think that would be wise, Your Highness. As your personal guard, I can not allow myself to be distracted.”
Josselyn pouted. “But you're one of the best swordsman in the kingdom. I'm dying to test myself against you. Just one bout?”
“I'm afraid not.”
Josselyn sighed and turned hopeful eyes toward Edmund. “I don't suppose you're up for any more?”
He chuckled. “Sorry, Joss, but I'm in charge of patrol today. Got to make sure everyone is where they're supposed to be, doing what they're supposed to do, and all that.” He stood, shrugging into his surcoat and strapping on his sword belt. “Oh, by the way, I have something for you.” Reaching into the pocket of his coat, he pulled out a short, slim object, wrapped in a soft, gray cloth. He held it out to her.
“What? Why? You didn't have to...” She paused, curiosity sparkling in her eyes. “What is it?”
Edmund smiled, gently pressing the item into her hand. “Open it and find out.”
Unfolding the cloth, Josselyn uncovered a slender, silver dagger. It's hilt sparkled with delicate, green emeralds. She lifted it reverently, taking a few jabs in the air to get a feel for its weight. “Oh, Edmund. It's perfect. Thank you.”
He grinned in satisfaction. “Well, I know you're not one for jewelry, and I wanted to find something special for your eighteenth birthday.”
Josselyn shot him a look. “My birthday is next week. Don't you think you're a bit early?”
He shrugged. “Eh, what's a few days? Besides, you'll be so busy with all of the birthday festivities, I wasn't sure I'd get a chance to give it to you then.”
“Ah yes, my coming of age ball. If it weren't for the fact that I've had to promise the first two dances to Prince Slimeball, I might actually be looking forward to it.”
Edmund raised an eyebrow at that. “Really? I would have thought you'd hate having to get all done up and paraded around like a trophy.”
Josselyn scrunched up her face. “Well, yeah, that part is rather odious. The dancing, though.” Her face lit up with a rosy glow. She focused on her dagger as she admitted, “I do love the dancing.”
When she lifted her head again, she saw Edmund watching her. His eyes sparked with an unfamiliar intensity. He leaned in, bending his head so that their faces were just a hand's width apart. “Then you must promise to save a dance for me, as well.” His eyes held hers captive, as he added with a murmur, “princess.”
A loud coughing sound interrupted the moment, and Josselyn took a step back.
“Yea... yeah, sure. Of course. I'll do that. Save a dance, I mean.” She held up her new dagger. “And thanks again for this. It's great, really.”
Edmund grinned, giving her a roguish wink. “You're welcome.” He looked over at Alex, who had started walking towards them, his hand gripping
