oran was not as impressed as I thought he would be, which is too bad. Still, I feel I have proved something, if only to myself. I have to give up on him, however. He is too enamored with his own beliefs to give much thought to changing them.
adger sat across from me, drinking his usual mug of ale. “You need to stop dreaming after that little lordette. She’s not interested in you, and she never will be.”
I was regretting ever telling Badger about my interest in Fina.
He said, “Look. To her you’re a puppy. A doting friend. A convenient errand boy. Maybe a shoulder to cry on in her hours of privileged suffering.”
“She’s not like that,” I said.
“When was the last time she talked to you? I bet she complained about some bloody inconsequential thing, and you were the only ear in the castle willing to hear her out.”
I didn’t know what to say to that. It was true. She had complained about the poor grooming of her horse by the stable hand. Badger was grinning insufferably. “Oh, shove off. You’re just saying that because she doesn’t like you.”
Badger laughed. “She has good reason not to. I don’t bow to her, and I’m a good influence on you.”
“Bull-shit.” Badger is arguably one of the worst womanizers I know.
“What say we find you a nice woman to take your mind off your lordette?” he said.