CHAPTER 5: PLAIN ON CHOICESALTHEA'S POVThe flickering torches sputtered, casting grotesque shadows on the cold stone walls as King Leontios boomed, "Strip! We must ensure purity amongst our potential brides!"His voice, rough and gravelly like unpolished stone, echoed in the cavernous hall. Shame burned in my throat like bitter wine. This wasn't the future I'd envisioned. Althea, daughter of a healer, reduced to cattle inspected for flaws in a barbaric beauty pageant. But defiance flickered within me, a tiny ember against the icy grip of fear.Across the room, King Maximus of Rome lounged on a throne, a bored expression etched on his face. His eyes, the color of a stormy sea, flicked over me with a casual disinterest that grated on my nerves more than Tiberius's crass demands.One by one, the other girls peeled off their finery, their faces a mask of forced smiles and hidden anxieties. Each revealed smooth, unblemished skin, their beauty a weapon in this twisted competition. My tu
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