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“That is barbaric!” she gasped, tears in her eyes. She gripped her wrapping cloth tight.

“It was. He would make me kneel in front of him just to ridicule me and remind me how much of a weak prince I was for being enslaved with my people—for not being able to protect my people.”

She shook her head passionately. “You are not a weak king. Never!”

His eyes found her face again. “After slavery, I swore