ree
into the woodshed from the servants' latrine
old washerwoman from Consort Cora's courtyar
round my forearms, preparing my under
stayed in Cora's room, the sheets were completely clean-they didn't consum
n, the only person he lets attend to his injuries is Consort Cora herself. She's been grinding his herbs f
d apothecaries from outside the city for days. They say his Dragon
d before a low, mocking laugh bubbled
unchastity out of petty jealousy, but to create a massive scandal that would d
Prince couldn't even bed a woman to produce heirs
ught he was nobly sacrificing my reputation for his beloved savior,
ke a fiddle by his own concubin
impotence to the streets ri
agon King's assassins down on our heads," I replied coolly. "Leave
and a middle-aged woman wrapped in a dark-blue v
vant's quarter, but the note my shadow guard delivered-a single line naming the blood-lotus she had qui
n for dragging me to this dump," Elena hissed
ten gleaming gold coins on
official medical scroll certifying my untouched virginity, stamped with your royal hea
You think ten gold coins can b
ing to a lethal whisper. "You've taken the blood-lotus out of the palace stores for three years running. I've never seen that count
finally realizing the woman in front of her was no weeping noble girl-an
ur wrist," she spat t
hands from my pulse, her forehead covered in
our virtue is untarnished," she muttered, her hand trembling slightly as she wrote
chment and blew gen
orrow morning." I waved a hand. Elena practi
hree maids, who quickly stripped off their skirts
st tightly with linen, and pulled on a f
il, I darkened my eyebrows with charcoal powder and
checking the short
, their fear completely replaced by
r the capital, bringing a heavy downpour
he rotted wooden window frame with a sin
s royal capital a parting
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