12 Chapter 12

The entire possibility left me hollow,my stomach carved out by a loss thatmight not even exist,that I had no right even beginning to lay claim to,but ached like it was real,nonetheless.Tylen could have no life with someone like me,an it in a cage whether it was gilded or not.One night didnot a future make,and I was delusional to even pretend the chance existed.

Consort to the Regent could even work to my advantage.I could have a friend within the citadel,someone who saw me for the being I was,not the animal I was presumed to be.An ally was worth a dozen lovers.I knew this to the bottom of my soul.

So why did I mourn an existence that could never be?

Because for one glorious night,I’d heard the song of hope in another man’s voice.And hope was by far the most insidious emotion to excise froma life determined to thrive in spite of the bars surrounding it.