Tamen is a squire given the task to take a boy who is seen as deranged back home. Along the way, he begins to wonder if the male truly is a prince who fell from the sky.
(This book contains a developing romance between two males.)
Rankings:
#194 i...
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For the first time during the past nights we've traveled it is not raining. After taking care of the campfire, I lie down beside it with my arms supporting my head. With a sigh relieving my body of a long day, my eyes focus on the view the heavens present.
The myrtle oak branches shape the view to a star-filled sky, and if I were in better company, I'd probably be able to enjoy it and recall the stories my nan used to tell me. But I am not alone, and beside me is Ser Willis.
His deep voice hums a melody that I seem to have grown with because of him. He's never truly sung the full song, always only humming the first part and singing the last. As a child, I would sing with him, and it was a song with which he'd cheer me up when I got hurt, sick, or was simply upset. It's not working this time though, and I can feel his gaze on me as he continues to sing.
"On the mountain tall
Whisper to me words in a voice so small
Like the dew that silently parts the blades
Quiet as the dawn, gentle as the morning sun."
I look straight ahead, but with the corner of my eye, I catch the man's defeated look. His clothes shuffle and the giant lies down on the opposite end of the fire. Once again, my gaze focuses on the dark sky above as the man heaves out a sigh.
"Beautiful night."
I don't answer.
"Did you know that the stars have names?"
I roll my eyes at his attempt at getting me to speak. He has given me the names of constellations countless times since I had a habit of calling them what my nan called them. He said that if I was going to use them for directions, I'd have to know their names properly. He told me the stories and what his favorite was called in his land; it is the only one he knows how to name with his land's tongue.
I still don't respond and keep staring up at Lepus right below the knight, or as he taught me, Orion.
"Tonight you play a mean game, Tamen."
I am doing no such thing.
"Betcha saying you're not."
I scowl.
He chuckles, "I also bet you're scowling because I am right?"
I look beside me quickly but based on our positions with distance and the fire; it's not possible for him to have seen my face. This fact makes my scowl deepen.
"You have a handsome face, but I bet you'll age fast from how much you scowl."
I let out a hot breath and look back up at the sky just in time to see a bright white light flash across it. My scowl disappears as I stare in awe.
Even though it happens quickly, time seems to slow down as the other stars grow dim at the sight of the bright flyer. Its tail is thin compared to the rest of its body, mimicking a tear on the night sky. I let out an exhale, unaware I had been holding my breath.
