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“We can do it up,” she says, her eyes downcast in a show of shame “It’s not what you’re used to, but…”

“It is perfect,” I s the words It is perfect because she has offered me all she has This little scuy and her care

“It’s not perfect It’s a hole You’ll hate it But they won’t look for you here So…”

“So it’s perfect,” I repeat,it

“Sit down on the bed," she says “I have some stain from the liquor store It’s red berry juice It should make you red Or maybe pink”

“Let us aim for red,” I decree

Before she can start daubing e pair of shears

“Haircut,” she says “It won’t be good, but we can use e cut off to trade Scuht be able to swap it for enough food to get us through theto knock over an elite”

It is clear thatto be hard and probably quite brutal, but I am cheerful nonetheless as I submit to Jax and her scissors

“Rath is going to hate being king,” I muse to myself as Jax prepares to hack at the locks of which I was once so proud

Perhaps he won’t Perhaps I hated being kingborn to it never left me much of a choice I resented the prospect of the role my entire life, and once I had it, I did notRath down, and that is all over for the moment

There was always a big, bright world beyond Megaris I have not merely been freed froations of the throne With my little human by my side, I may choose to be whatever I desire to be

SNIP!

Jax walks around and se hunk of my hair in her hand She looks so very proud of herself I feel lighter I ahed down, neither by my hair, nor by the burdens of the crown

“There’s just oneI have to tell you,” she says as the hue of the reflected lights of Megaris filtering in through the open doorway olden as I once was

“What is that?”

“I love you too”

I feel a sense of coh me asrowth Korabi never cut their hair It is our crowning glory

“I think we should shave your head No We’ve got to color what's left, don't we Dark, I think You'd look very striking with black hair”

She seeI find et the sense this hu halfway useful at some point