#surprise!

later,  if  anyone  asks,  sam  would  deny  the  tenderness.  it’s  too  public.  something  like  this  is  for  the  private  moments  between  them.  but  his  hand  lingers,  fingers  pressing  against  the  ridges  of  their  spine.  in  a  low  voice,  he  asks,  “wanna  get  out  of  here?”

"Thought I saw you walking around," Malcolm said just as he closed the distance towards Forest. If his smile seemed forced, it was only because he'd been trying to avoid his nephew since he arrived at the carnival. Was that so wrong? He would have been happy enough going home after finishing his segment if it weren't for the fact that he made eye contact with the kid. "You getting anything here? Do you need, I don't know, money or something?"

on  the  fourth  and  final  day  of  the  headsman’s  tourney,  the  morning  dawns  grey,  but  dry  . . .   while  most  made  their  way  to  the  tourney  grounds,  five  nobles  lingered.  the  street  of  the  sisters  leading  to  the  hill  of  rhaenys  was  all  but  empty,  most  of  the  vendors  and  smallfolk  gone  to  hawk  their  wares  or  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  tourney’s  final  tilts.