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Besides, the future was clear to her now, even if he couldn’t see it through his sorrow He would coiven the chance to uard--Garrison Clay He and his wife are on their way here, to help"--he inhaled shakily--"to help with preparations, and … the baby…" He cleared his throat "He can escort you back to the palace I’hness"

Levana’s shoulders fell She had been filled up with fantasies of what could happen when Evret escorted her back, led her to her bedrooer required to be true to just one wo him here to weep

"I can stay with you," she said "I can cohness, but thank you for your kindness I would rather you had not seen me like this at all"

"Oh" She rolled the confession over in her thoughts, wondering if it was meant to be flattery

"I haven’t thanked you, for what you did today With the queen But you have ratitude I know it couldn’t have been easy for you"

"Of course I would do anything for you"

He looked at her, surprised, and bordering on alarracious, Princess But I’uard My place is to serve you"

"You are not only a guard You are … you are perhaps rimaced, which she couldn’t understand

Her voice dropped "At least, you’re the only person who gave ift"

The look of pain turned to one of syain, she pulled the pendant from where it had been tucked beneath her dress’s bodice His sadness seemed to only increase when he saw it "I have worn it every day since you gave it toin her throat "I value it above all the croels, above … above anything on this h, Evret took the charers, then enclosed her hand in both of his She felt dwarfed and delicate, like her heart was in her palirl," said Evret, "and you deserve the most priceless jewels that have ever adorned a princess I’ht he would kiss her, but instead he pulled his hands away and turned back to the

Her heart was pattering now, and she knew her skin was flushed She allowed solamour "I’m not like Channary I don’t want jewels What I crave is much more precious than that" Levana inched toward hiainst his ar, she re what he thinks is proper

But being proper see beneath her skin When she felt like her heart would pound right through her rib cage if he didn’t take her into his arhtened, and inched toward hiain "Sir Hayle … Evret…" The feel of his name on her lips, never whispered so intimately but in her fantasies, sent a chill down her spine