Chapter 40

• “Whoever she is, she’s lucky.”
• I heard Ayla’s words float through the corridor with that edge that only jealousy could carve. I could feel it simmering under her calm facade, and it made me smile faintly. Why did it matter so much to me? My chest tightened just thinking about it—the ache from yesterday’s duel still lingering in every muscle. I remembered waking in the night, imagining her there with me, her warmth pressed to my side, comforting me in ways I couldn’t admit.
• I loved having her close. The truth was, I babbled nonsense to her when she lingered near, and she tolerated it—her eyes betraying annoyance even as she indulged me. I didn’t regret a word. If anything, I wished I could tell her she wasn’t just one of my loyal subjects—she was something far more precious.