He keeps talking, even when I don’t reply. “Tomorrow the King is escorting one of the Favored from Aighda to the Capital.” Ah yes, the Favored. The eligible daughters of the nobility who will compete to gain the King’s affection and become his bride. It’s an ancient tradition—ancient and ridiculous, in my opinion. But for centuries the “Calling of the Favored” has been held each time a King or Crown Prince turned twenty-five. A few generations ago, we had a Crown Prince who preferred men, and all the favored noble sons were summoned for the competition. That prince found true love, and he and
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