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Farah staggered around to face her hter?”

Anna shook her head, reached out i hands

“When you do, never tell me about her I-I can’t have even a ain as she inificent body open to the worship of the faceless wo, a princess born, favored by all, the instrument of peace and prosperity, his equal in beauty and refineround and culture, versed in all the nuances she’d never known, and in the arts of seducing and servicing her man

And he’d take his pleasure inside her, spill his seed where it would take root, as it…

“I can’t bear it” Hands caed at each, screamed, “Don’t touchswelling and distorting, inside and out

At last she heard herself rasp, “Who are my real parents? Do you even know theain

And Farah wailed, “Oh, God…I’ony before it killed them both

But before he could dash to contain her, she was careening to the door, her beloved face shuddering, her eyes gushing tears that looked as if they were blood-tinged

He lunged with the surge of fright, caught her ar in theed with relief to find it all in his abused mind

She shook her head and tried to squir to meet his eyes “I’m s-sorry…for all the time and effort you wasted on me But you now h-have the woman who’ll solve your probleain…”

He knelt down before her again, collapsed “Er-ruhh I deserve whatever you do toyourself None of this, none of us, especially not me, is worth one of your precious tears”

She stared down at hi hand flailed down his cheek before whipping away as if he’d burned her She looked at it in stupefaction It et

And he realized it-he eeping, too He’d shed tears only at his mother’s deathbed Not only for her loss, but for what she’d endured before death had spared her the suffering His father’s death had been so sudden, yet sorief when he’d felt his father had gotten his heart’s desire, rushing after his wife

Noept, for the grief he’d caused the wo he wanted from life The woman who deserved to be cherished by all, who now felt that she never had or would ever have anyone