“I’d never tell someone what they need to be comfortable with,” William says, his gray eyes thoughtful. “I was just offering context. If it helps, I’m happily in love and not at all interested.”

I grin, despite my fatigue. “Oh yeah? Who’s the lucky person?”

“He’s not Legendborn, that’s for sure.” William laughs warmly. “Dating inside the Order is nothing but trouble.”

I perk up. “Why’s that?”

“Bloodlines, oaths, inheritances? Pick one.” William pulls the table away and leans back against the other bed. “Pages can date Pages, easy. Squires dating Squires is fine, but tricky. A Squire’s job is to protect their Scion, and that bond is unbreakable, sacred. In battle a Squire can’t prioritize their partner’s well-being over their Scion, and the Warrior’s Oath is forever, even after the eligibility period ends and the inheritances disappear. Who wants to be with someone who’s already emotionally and magically bonded to someone else—for life?”

I grimace. “That sounds awful.”

“It is.” He whistles low. “You should hear the jealous snark that comes out of people’s mouths at the Selection Gala. It’s all Order grudges and gossip and drama. But even that’s just… awkward and inconvenient.” He shakes his head. “Dating Scions is a whole different ball game.”

I push up on one elbow, eager to learn more. “Why?”

“Sixty generations, give or take, of managing the bloodlines… It gets complicated. The Regents had to step in and lay down rules at some point. Order law forbids crossing the bloodlines, so no hanky-panky between anyone who could become a Scion or whose kids could become a Scion in the line of succession. If they didn’t prohibit it, there’d be babies with two, three, four lineages running around. It’d be chaos trying to track who’ll be Called next and how the bloodline will be preserved. It’s easier for couples where pregnancy is one hundred percent impossible. But for couples who could get pregnant? They’re screwed. In the not-fun way.”

“That’s…”

“Awful, I know. Though it’s sort of a modern fin’amor. The medieval ideal of courtly, ennobling love that can never be consummated. Very romantic concept back then. But today? There were rumors of a Scion couple at another chapter who hid their relationship, but the Regents have spies everywhere. They were caught. And punished.” He furrows his brow at that last word.