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The sun was just beginning to sink over the horizon as the trio stopped to make camp for the night. Their journey had taken a turn for the uneventful as they traveled through one of the less interesting forests in the land, and there wasn't much for them to do except talk to each other. Galavant had tried to monopolize the conversation, as usual, and Sid and Isabella had grown so adept at tuning him out that he'd started talking to his horse.
Isabella looked up as a familiar word caught her attention. “Did you just say 'cupcake?'”
She might have been imagining it, but she thought he actually looked a little embarrassed. “Yes.”
“Why?”
“It's his name.” He gave the horse one last pat on the nose and came to sit beside her, still looking a little defensive as she quickly quieted her giggling. “He was owned by a baker before I got him and it stuck.”
She glanced back at Sid, who shook his head at her with a smile. That was enough to confirm her suspicion, but she figured it was best to change the subject. “So where'd you get your name?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well you have to admit, Galavant is a pretty unusual name for a person.” She scooted a little closer to him. “Is it a family name, or...?”
“Don't know,” he said with a shrug. “I never really asked. I think my mother just liked the sound of it.” He was quiet for a moment, but then he grinned at her. “At least people don't run out of breath saying my name.”
She scoffed, knowing full well he was trying to irritate her. “Oh, please. It's not like I expect people to say my full name every time they talk to me.”
“Still... Isabella. Kind of a lot of syllables.”
“It's only one more than yours.”
“Yeah, but I've got a nickname. You need a nickname.”
“I do not!” She wondered yet again why she let him drag her into these discussions.
“Yes you do. Izzy.”
She scowled at him, but it was warring with amusement and she knew he could tell. Jerk. “Only my youngest cousins call me Izzy.”
“I like it.”
She was stuck with it now, she realized. The man could be as stubborn as a mule when he wanted to. “Oh, fine. But not all the time.”
Later, after the three of them had eaten and were settling down to sleep, he rested a hand on her shoulder.
“Goodnight, princess.”
For the life of her, she couldn't understand how he made her proper title sound like a term of endearment.