"Ugh. Fine," says Milo. "He got confused and thought I was a princess and tried to carry me off. I set him straight, he came back and put me down and apologized."

"How did he confuse you for a princess, Milo, were you wearing a dress at the time?"

"No!" he exclaims. "I was wearing, you know, usual clothes! Prince clothes!"

"Were you hanging out with princesses? If you know princesses you need to introduce me."

"I was not hanging out with princesses. Why would I introduce you to princesses? You'll just start kissing them and then probably want to tell me all about it."

"I could shut up about it if it would get me introduced to princesses!"

"Why do you want to be introduced to princesses in particular?"

"They're all... princessy. But anyway I know you don't care so tell me about the giant instead, I'm sure you'd prefer it."

"Well, he was really embarrassed about his mistake, so he listened to me when I suggested he look into alternative career paths. And Dad said he wouldn't mind pardoning him for the one attempted pillaging, since he did seem to be very sorry about it, and they talked it out, and now Porabor lives in the southern ruins and we send for him whenever somebody needs something really big and heavy moved."

"That's useful, then. But how did he even make that mistake? You don't look like a girl. You're little, but that probably won't make you look like a girl even from far away until you're at least my age, maybe older."

"I have no idea. Porabor has no idea either."

"Well, I'm glad I didn't have to be hauled home from school to rescue you from a giant. I'm not even especially good at giants."

"I can rescue myself perfectly well, thanks."

"You can if a giant carries you off, apparently. Giants can talk. What if it was a manticore?"

"Well, it wasn't."

"I'm good at manticores, though. I mean, in theory. I haven't tried fighting a real manticore yet."

"Do they have fake manticores for you to fight?"

"There's an enchanted marionette."

"Cool."

"It's fun! I wish you could come."

"Me too," he sighs.

Jann pats him on the shoulder. "So what've you been up to besides getting mistaken for a princess and not kissing any girls, huh?"

"Oh, you know. Breaking exciting new combinations of bones. Learning statecraft from my parents. Visiting Reko with Mom."

"I hear if you break your shoulder and all of the opposite toes and both elbows you win a stuffed unicorn."

Milo snickers.