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“And you are no more a knight than a candlestick. What is your point?” She smiled at him, confident in her argument. “We are children of our fathers and not our mothers. Perhaps we should start our own court. There seem to be enough of us in the world.”

That got Leopold to laugh hard, his face lighting up at the thought of it. “How wonderful would that be?”

“I say it is already done. You are my knight, and I am the princess.” She nodded resolutely. “And therefore, I do not care if you believe me or not.”

“A court cannot have only two members.”

“We have to start somewhere, don’t we?”

Leopold chuckled and shook his head. “If you say so.”

“I do say so. That is very much the point.” She took his hand as they left the palace and headed for the private area by the woods that they often snuck away to. Being as she was had disadvantages, but it also had many advantages. No one cared when she went missing for long hours, as long as she made her appointments. And since her father knew and approved of her friendship—and sparring matches—with Leopold, everyone else was encouraged to look the other way.

The scandal of her playing with wooden swords hardly outweighed the one that which she was born into. No one expected her to act like a true princess, so she could skirt the edges of propriety. It was harmless.

In more ways than one.

Because despite her arguments to the contrary?

The dress had nothing to do with it. She really was terrible.