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“She’s a good ruler…present times aside”

She turned to me

“There’s nothing she wouldn’t do for her people She oes with less so people can haveperson…if she doesn’t consider you an eneree with her tactics at the moment, but I’ve pardoned them because I know there’s more to her than this”

“I think you’d be better”

My eyes locked on to hers

“You were blinded by your revenge too—but you looked past it”

I stared at her naked for a different woht, who had a feast for ten all to herself for dinner, who lived in a world of luxury that should have been mine The second she shot that arrow into my neck, I’d known she wasyou should know”

She watched me, trepidation in her eyes

“Your bedroo to me”

A note of confusion was in her eyes, as if she didn’t follow

“I still re those curtains to that breathtaking view of the city at the bottom of the hill With the sun in the sky on a cloudless day, the light reflected off the cobblestones—and shone like gold”

Her eyes tightened, like the description was one she knew just as intimately

“My father was the King of Kingdoht, in the middle of winter, when your father and hisfrom us”

Her chest rose and fell quickly under the water,small waves that sloshed to the sides of the tub

“They butchered e of the cliff The siege was quick, killing anyone who resisted, and the transfer of poas co had happened Rutherford took the Capital, his other supporters claio now”

She experienced shock, a hardness to her features that seemed permanent The ripples in the water stopped because she failed to breathe The reaction was genuine, like she had no idea that her hos on the walls…the names in the books from the library…”

I stared

“It never made sense…”

I shouldn’t pity her, but I actually did

“That means…this is where I’m from…”

I gave a subtle nod

She looked away, clearly overwhelmed