Her cheeks heated, so she moved on. “Princess?” she asked. He hadn’t said it with mockery, but with genuine affection, which was odd, considering that nothing about her honestly said “princess.” “Oh.” Bel coughed and seemed to fumble for an answer. “Yeah, that just kind of slipped out. Like, a warrior princess, fierce and capable and braver than an army, you know? I, uh, I thought it the first time I saw you. And ever since. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I won’t say it again.” “No, no, I actually like it,”
