Such beautiful name for such beautiful woman.” I blushed at the old shopkeeper’s flattery, and shook my head quickly. No, I wasn’t beautiful. I had frizzy brown hair and skin far paler than any native-born Texan should ever condone. My clothes were wrinkled. My jeans were too baggy. And my short-...
She’d become so accustomed to spending her nights slumbering on hay that the comfort of a real bed felt almost foreign. Memories of the night before tugged at her still sleep-starved mind, and she smiled into her pillow. Her circlet lay discarded on the table beside her. H...
I think this must be at least my sixth day here, possibly even my seventh. I don’t want to lose track of time, but it’s so hard to keep up with its passage. Every morning, I’m bathed, fed, and told to relieve myself outside. Afterwards, the training begins. I’m forced to crawl, even trot on all f...