Kel and Lalasa’s friendship is the only friendship in Protector of the Small that I adore with all my heart.
It’s not because Kel teaches Lalasa self-defense, and being able to use that knowledge helps her. It’s not because Lalasa is the first friend Kel has who isn’t completely oblivious to the fact that she is a girl as well as a page, not two sides of a coin clearly labeled “GIRL” and “PRETTY MUCH A BOY”.
It’s because, at the end of Page, when they have to work together to escape, Kel is the one in need, and Lalasa is the one who helps her do something she’s terrified of.
For the whole book, it seems like Kel protects Lalasa, because it’s from Kel’s POV. But Lalasa is there, quietly encouraging her, quietly helping, not just as a maid, but as a friend. And near the end of the book, when Kel crumples because of fear, Lalasa is the one who picks her up and says “It’s okay. You’re okay. We can do this.”
“You taught me to be nearly as brave as you.”
That point, even just that sentence, always makes me cry. Friendship is about growth, and care, and sticking together when you can. Friendship is mutual support. Friendship is being brave for each other.
