Page 76 of Scars and Crowns

"Most girls were intimidated."

"She wasn't."

"Not even a little."

I can still picture it. She'd walked into my room, looked around at the mess with complete indifference, handed me the jacket, refused tea because she had to catch the afternoon bus, and left before any of my friends could properly introduce themselves.

At the time I'd been mildly embarrassed she'd seen my room looking like that. Looking back . . . She never cared about any of it.

"So . . . " Samrat says carefully.

"How's the little girl?" I don't even realise I'm smiling until I hear it in my own voice.

"Sara." I say her name naturally now. Like I've been saying it my whole life. There's a brief silence.

"You sound different."

"Different?"

"When you say her name."

I look down at the phone in my hand. "Do I?"

"You do." He doesn't elaborate. He doesn't need to. I already know he's right.

"She's five," I say, unable to stop myself from smiling wider. "Half the palace staff have surrendered to her already."

"I can believe that."

"She somehow convinced my mother to eat dessert before dinner yesterday because apparently rules don't apply during storytelling."

Samrat laughs. "And you allowed this?"

"I wasn't consulted."

"Were you overruled?"

"Immediately."

He coughs to cover up his laugh this time. "And you accepted defeat?"

"I recognised it."

"Hm."

He lets that settle. "What does she call you?"

"Mister."

"That's it?"

"For now."

I hear him catch the word instantly. "For now?"

I don't answer. I don't need to.

"You want that to change."