We reach our door, and I unlock it to reveal a small but clean room with a bed, a washbasin, and a window overlooking the town square. It’s nothing like the royal chambers I’m used to, but it’s a thousand times better than sleeping on dirt in the forest.

“I can take the floor,” Astra says immediately, clutching her new book to her chest.

Before she can blink, I scoop her up in my arms and cross the room. She yelps in surprise, the book tumbling from her grip as I deposit her firmly on the bed.

“We’re both taking the bed,” I tell her plainly.

Her eyes go wide,...