“What happened to ‘If you please, Your Highness’ and ‘With your permission, Your Highness’?” Raisa demanded. “For the last time, put me down, or I’ll call the Guard.”

Amon blinked at her, and she couldn’t help noticing he had really thick eyelashes smudging the gray of his eyes. Carefully, he set her down on her feet and took a step back. “My apologies, Your Highness,” he said, his face gone blank and hard. “Shall I go, then?”

And just that quick, her anger was gone, replaced by remorse. Her cheeks flamed. How could they possibly be friends if she kept pulling rank on him?

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, putting her hand on his arm. “Thank you for saving my life.”

He continued to stare straight ahead. “My duty, Your Highness, as a member of the Queen’s Guard.”

“Will you stop?” Raisa said desperately. “I said I was sorry.”

“No apology is necessary, Your Highness,” Amon said, looking down at her hand on his sleeve. “Now, if there’s nothing else…?”

“Please don’t go, Amon,” Raisa said, releasing his arm and staring at her ruined slippers. “I could really use a friend, even if I don’t deserve one.” She cleared her throat. “Do you think that’s possible?”

There was a long pause. Then Amon put two fingers under her chin, and she lifted her head and looked at him, and the movement sent tears spilling down her face. He was leaning down toward her, his face was very close, and before she knew what she was doing, she slid her arms around his neck and kissed him on the lips.

Maybe he was thinking about kissing too, because he pressed his hands against her waist, lifting her tightly against him so her feet nearly left the ground. He returned the kiss with surprising skill and intensity. His lips were a bit rough and wind-burned, but in a good way, and Raisa wasn’t ready to stop when he broke it off and backed away, gray eyes wide with alarm.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness,” he gasped, reddening, raising his hands, palms out. “Forgive me. I…I didn’t mean…”

“Call me Raisa,” Raisa said, moving toward him again, reaching for him.

“Please…Raisa.” He gripped her shoulders, holding her at arm’s length. “I don’t know what I…We can’t do this.”

Raisa blinked at him. “It’s just a kiss,” she said, feeling rather hurt. “I’ve been kissed before.”

There was Micah, of course, and then there’d been dark-eyed, intense Reid Nightwalker Demonai, one of the warriors at Demonai Camp. Mush-mouthed Wil Mathis, Keith Klemath (not Kip), and probably one or two others.

“It should never have happened. I’m a soldier, and I’m in the Queen’s Guard. If my father—”

“Oh bother your father,” Raisa grumbled. “He doesn’t have to know everything.”