That terror lessened then, at the sound of her father’s voice. You need not rule alone . . . The poor girl looked at me—tears unfallen in those eyes wide as pools—and she smiled. By all the stars in heaven, she smiled at me, and I felt my heart break to see how the Emperor’s pronouncement comforted her. The relief she felt was like a wave, like the tide overtaking me, and I might have buckled. She’s only Tavrosi. The words were like a knell. Only Tavrosi. Only Tavrosi.
