Page 46 of Fox of Fox Hall

Then he heard his name and turned around andConall was there.

Fox tipped his shade back to let him look uponConall unimpeded. Conall was in a simple undershirt and breeches,as if between bouts he had decided to undress and either quicklybathe or just douse himself with water. Which was probably exactlywhat he had done. His shirt stuck to his chest and the waterdroplets only made him look warmer and brighter. If he had beenhurt, he stood tall and showed no signs of it.

“You have been in a strenuous event,” Fox heardhimself complaining, although his voice was weak and high so thewords held no sting, “shouldn’t you be resting or some suchthing?”

Then he recalled himself and where he was andtwisted around to look for byr, Potentials, or kings.

“Are you all right?”

The low question brought Fox’s attention back toConall and kept it there. Conall’s gaze was dark and serious.

“What?” Fox raised the shade as his cheeksheated. “Me? You’re the one who’s been doing dangerous things.”

“Dangerous…?” Conall echoed, then waved the wordaway as if it didn’t matter. “Fox, I’m asking ifyouare allright.”

Fox considered Conall’s effortless beauty foranother moment before wrinkling his nose. “Do I look thatawful?”

“You are the most stunning person to sit in thatbox,” Conall answered, no less serious than he had been from thestart. “And I’m sure I’m not the only one to appreciate the sightof you.”

Fox didn’t want to go anywhere nearthatsubject and found himself staring at Conall’s sloped shoulder. “Asthough you aren’t the ideal to so many of those you’ve defeatedtoday,” he scoffed lightly, going for flirtatious although stillnot able to look Conall in the eye. “Are you going to be out herewith them tonight? You might find yourself propositioned.”

There was a hint of shadowing beneath Conall’sdamp shirt fabric, a bruise already darkening. That was the reasonFox frowned. There was no other reason he should.

Conall shook his head. “No one will bepropositioning me. But Iwillbe out here tonight,” headmitted on a small exhale. “I should have said.”

Fox lifted his chin to airily wonder why Conallwould need to explain himself to his temporary bed partner butcaught himself in time. He had made a fool of himself alreadytoday.

“You’ll probably be too battered to get back bythat point,” he said instead.

“Fox,” Conall tried to interrupt.

“And in this heat? You’ll be exhausted beforemidafternoon.” Fox didn’t know what his tone was or why he keptspeaking. He lowered the shade to keep their eyes from meeting. “Aridiculous competition,” he continued, blurting nonsense hecouldn’t even blame on the wine. “It’s not as if anyone here isreally using it to endear themselves to their….” He trailed offwhen Conall lifted the shade with one finger to look directly athim. He insisted on staring at Fox so seriously, as though he wasworried about Fox when Fox was the one who had reason to… well. Foxpulled in a breath to clear his head. “You were incredible theytell me.”

Theymeaning Domvoda but Fox didn’t voicethat.

“Didthey?” Conall asked, sharp on thatword as if he could guess who had. Domvoda had sat Fox next to himas he had not done ever before. It was not a difficult guess tomake.

“The king acknowledges your skill,” Fox revealedquietly, wanting to soothe the mountain despite his own churningstomach. “As do most. As do I, though I can’t bear to watch.”Conall dropped his shoulders and leaned closer upon hearing that,concerned for Fox, and Fox couldn’t have that. Not there. Maybe notever. It was too much. Too lovely, how Conall always managed to be.“I know there is work, effort, and art involved, enough to make itbeautiful to others. But to me, it’s brutal. Which makes it evenstranger that you knights love your fancies about wearing favorswhile pummeling each other. I hardly think a favor would affectwhat will happen to you. What is a lock of hair against that sortof force?” He looked up as he said it, wanting to see Conall’s eyeswiden before Conall glanced away. Fox’s heart thumped against hisribs. He ignored it. “Foxes are the ones who are supposed to bethieves.”

Conall glanced to him, then to the side, thenfaced Fox with his shoulders back once again. He slipped a hand tothe waist of his breeches, and if he had tucked away the lock ofFox’s hair into some hidden pocket, Fox didn’t want to see itremoved.

He reached out, stopping short of touchingConall’s arm. “I doubt you’d need any kind of favor. Not with yourtalents,” he continued, as though Conall wasn’t wearing a stolenfavor they were talking around. “Which is part of the reason itwouldn’t have occurred to me to give you one.”

Conall’s voice was rough. “I think the prize youdid offer is a greater motivation to win.”

Fox squeezed the handle of his shade. Beingplaced in the king’s box with Domvoda and the Potentials had drivenlast night’s rash promise from his mind. “Ah,” he murmured,meaning absolutely nothing, burning despite the shade above him.“And yet?” Conall had taken the lock of hair. Maybe he had onlywanted the possibility of good fortune, but he had still doneit.

Conall replied, “Perhaps I took it because itwas lovely and I didn’t want to think of it being discarded,” andFox leaned forward. He was seconds away from touching Conall when aknight passed behind Conall and returned Fox to his senses.

Fox looked down. He fussed with his doubletuntil the other knight was gone, then tugged a length of berry-redribbon from inside his sleeve and held it out. “You forgot this.”Conall took it and turned it over in his hand to let it pool in hispalm. Fox couldn’t look away. No one had ever asked him for such athing. Not that Conall hadasked, but the sight was stillpretty. “Afraid of me?” Fox was staring and if Conall looked up, hewould see. Fox tried to restrain himself, to sound less hungry. “Ican’t possibly be worse than every giant with a club or sword atthis tournament out to knock down the Dragonslayer.”

Conall wrapped part of the ribbon loosely aroundone finger. Fox had a wild urge to tie it in a bow and leave theends to trail down to Conall’s wrist.

“Fox,” Conall began slowly, drawing Fox’s eyesup, “would you grant me your favor?”

By what Fox knew of the traditions aroundfavor-giving, Conall should have asked before taking one. Whichmeant he should have woken Fox up before he’d left. Fox would havebeen confused but allowed it, and probably kissed him, and that wasso much better than how Fox’s day had actually gone that Fox pushedthe fantasy away so he wouldn’t scream about it.

“Youshouldfear me,” he pressed on,breathing fast and knowing Conall would notice, “because now I amgoing to take something of yours, just you wait.”

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