Turning, I find Caleb staring straight at me. I worried he might be annoyed by my presence, but looking at him now, I can see the flicker of amusement in his eyes, and the way the very edge of his lip curls ever-so-slightly with mischief.
“Well? Would you deny your king, servant?” he asks.
I curtsey as a servant would, when addressed by her king. “Never, my King.”
“Good.” He points at a nearby plate of strawberries. “Bring those.”
Confused but obedient, I grab the plate of strawberries. “Yes, my King.” Once I have it, I follow him back towards his throne.
On the way, the outspoken commoner steps into Caleb’s path. Caleb stops and for a moment, the two stare each other down. Caleb is taller and broader than the commoner, but the commoner does not immediately back down in Caleb’s presen
