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"Why do you stand so far away, Sir Hayle?"

"I can protect you well enough frohness"

"Can you? And what if an assassin were to fire a shot into et to me in time?"

"It is not an assassin I fear you need protection from"

She reached for the chain around her neck "Then what do I need protection from?" She took a hesitant step toward him

"Yourself," he said firmly Then he stepped back and said, with much less conviction, "Ordifferent about hilamour She wasn’t sure if this hat she’d hoped for or not Since the day he’d come to her chambers they had shared a hundred stolenhall A possessive hand on her waist as she disappeared into her bedchaht A hasty, desperate kiss in the servants’ halls before the changing of the guard

But Levana was not so naïve as to pretend that everyhis thoughts tohiain that he loved her He loved her

And six tiuard’s code of conduct, the rule that he was not to speak unless one of his superiors bid him, to tell her that this had to stop He had told her that he was confused and heartbroken and he couldn’t iine what had coe of her and he didn’t blame her at all but they had to stop, they had to stop … until he was kissing her again

So far, tonight, Levana had not had to lamour that had cajoled him

"What do you hness" The fear faded away Now he looked only tired "Why are you torturingyou?"

"Every ti care of hts are solid I know myself I know ave ift before she left, and I’ulped "I know that I a as I can And I know that I care for you, as … as a guard must care for his princess And as a friend, I suppose"

"You are my--"

"But when you’re near," he continued, and the interruption shocked Levana uard never interrupted a member of the aristocracy, and certainly never a et all et confused My heart pounds so fast around you, but not in a happy way or a loving way It’s as though s to soh I knorong it is Stars above, I could be executed for this!"

"No! No, I would never let that happen to you"

"But you’re the one doing this to me"

She froze