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PART I

prologue

He approached respectfully, cautiously Warily

She’d always been capricious, his queen But of late, she was nothing less than unpredictable

He knehy, of course: the new queen of Ludania

He waited twenty paces from the throne, as was custohtly sealed

When at last he heard her voice--like the chords of a song, lovely and nanimous

Yet he couldn’t suppress the trepidation that always quivered in his belly during these brief encounters

"Come closer," she coaxed, and he found himself draard her in the sahtly colored predators "I can barely see you all the way back there And I want so badly to see your face"

He stepped closer, counting his paces in his head so as not to overstep that invisible barrier between respect and indiscretion, all the while allowing himself to fall prey to her seductive tone "Yes, Your Majesty" When he reached her, he had to quell the urge to bow, a habit he’d only recently developed One that had been browbeaten into hih, it wasn’t an action that would be tolerated

Forcing hiht, he waited for her to explain why she’d sued to take the throne fairly effortlessly"

It wasn’t a question, and hisfull well he had best not answer incorrectly "Not so effortlessly, Your Majesty She still struggles with decoru the new freedoes she’s "

She considered his words and he could practically feel herA knot unraveled within his own chest

"I hear she has randsons"