"One time if you desire me to answer whatever you ask, ongoing if we both agree to the questions in advance."

I considered that as we headed down a slope. The paths of crushed bark weren't the worst, but I wasn't exactly liking walking barefoot on them. Dain didn't wear shoes, though, and I would be willing to bet he never bothered considering why other people did. He didn't strike me as the kind of guy who spent a lot of time considering the needs and desires of other people. As to questions... One question would let me get a lot of information, but only if I knew what to ask, and how to word it so he couldn't wiggle out of answering. As I had almost zero information and he was apparently at least a century old with a lot of people trying to kill him, ongoing seemed like the right call.

"Ongoing, I suppose. You first." I wasn't going to get caught up by asking him what his first question was for my question.

"How did you earn the name Duchess?"

Despite everything, the question brought a smile to my face, the memory bright and beautiful. "I'm willing to answer that," I said. "What does 'moon-called' mean?"

"Faerqen is the wolf-god of winter, illusion, death, and the moon," he said. "My body makes me moon-called, which is to be tied to him."

"Your body?" I asked with curiosity. "You're not very wolfy."

"I didn't agree to that question," he said in a pleasant voice. "And you haven't answered yours."

I made an exasperated noise and saw him smirk. "When I was a kid, I was very awkward and gangly. Puberty hit me like a freight train and I went from a stick person to, well, this," I said, gesturing at myself. I wasn't any Jessica Rabbit, but I had a good figure, and all the exercise I did made me lithe and strong. "Boys suddenly noticed me, but I had no concept of flirting or anything, and I ended up coming off as remote and discerning. My friends felt like I ought to have a noble title, but since princesses in stories are always milquetoast and I have never been anything less than loud, they figured Duchess would work."

He didn't say anything, quietly walking with me through elegant gardens, the drone of insects a pleasant hum in the air.

"Got called that almost every day for five years," I said after a moment, with a wistful smile. "My best friend came to college with me, and he kept using it up until I started dating a guy seriously. I was still clueless, I guess. Never even realized he'd been in love with me until I broke his heart."