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scenario as soon as I got to my bed.
    I am going to masturbate to you so hard later , I thought while looking at him. I blushed then because I realized that made me super creepy and I didn’t feel sorry about it at all.
    It was about that time that I realized at least a minute had passed and we were still standing very close to each other. He hadn’t let go of my wrist, and I swear he was about to say something when Justin coughed sarcastically behind him. I pulled my arm back quickly and took three steps back, putting a respectable distance between us.
    “Are you quite finished, Sam?” Justin asked. “You look just awful. Maybe you should consider cleaning yourself up before you show your face again. I don’t want people thinking my Wizard is from the slums.”
    I ground my teeth together. “I am from the slums.” I avoided looking at Ryan. I didn’t want to see the pity that was probably on his face. I wasn’t ashamed of where I’d come from. In fact, I was proud of it. And no one, not even Justin, could make me feel like shit because of it.
    He arched an eyebrow.
    “My lord,” I added.
    “Well. I suppose as someone who was plucked from dirt and obscurity and essentially handed everything , you wouldn’t understand the trials and tribulations of royalty.”
    “Yes, my lord.” You horse’s ass.
    “I think that’s enough,” Ryan said. I glanced quickly at him and that angry frown had returned. Justin had come to stand right next to him. Their fingers were intertwined, and I was embarrassed. Ryan had probably had it with me taking time away from him and the Prince, so I took another step backward. I didn’t want to go to my room. I wanted to go see Gary and bitch and moan and braid his mane and have him tell me that Justin was a giant cockfucker and I was so much prettier than him.
    “Sorry,” I muttered. “I’ll just….”
    And I turned to leave.
    “Sam.”
    I stopped and closed my eyes. I was tense as I took a deep breath because that was the second time he’d said my name and it was just awesome, but it made walking away all that much harder, and I wished at that moment that I’d never heard of Ryan Foxheart.
    I plastered a fake smile on my face as I turned back around. “Yes?”
    He was watching me, so I lowered my eyes and stared at my feet. “Are you going to be there tonight? There’s this… thing. At the feast?”
    And what the hell was that ? I looked back up at him in surprise. He was staring resolutely at me. Justin was rolling his eyes and looked extraordinarily bored. “Yes?” I said. “Yes. Uh. I sort of have to be. Like. It’s required. Because of the whole. You know. Wizard thing.”
    Ryan coughed. “Oh. Okay. Good. Because of the wizard thing. So.”
    Wow. Did I sound like an asshole. “Not that I don’t want to go,” I said hurriedly. “I totally do. Want to go. For the feast. And the other stuff. With the promotion? That you got? Oh, and good job, you.” I gave him two thumbs-up, and I just cringed at how awkward I was.
    “As enlightening as all of this is,” Justin said, “Ryan and I have plans. This is a big day after all. Not that you knew anything about it seeing as how you can’t even be bothered to return when you’re supposed to. There’s going to be some changes when I become King. Big changes.”
    So that was a threat. I gave very serious thought to hexing Justin so that his face melted, but was somehow able to restrain myself. “My apologies, my lord, for taking up your invaluable time.” I bowed again and hurried (read: ran) away.
     
     
    “A ND HE was just so amazing ,” I said as I braided Gary’s hair. “Like so selfless and awesome and he smelled like leaves and I think his eyebrows should be declared a treasure of the Kingdom.”
    “Oh my gods,” Gary muttered. “This has been going on for forty-seven minutes.”
    “Did I tell you he knew my name ?”
    “Sixteen times.”
    “Oh. He said it twice .”
    “Holy fuck on a