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Princess Haile had swallowed 50 times in 10 seconds, and her palms were so clammy, they could wet a whole garden. Despite her nervousness, she sat calm, composed and confident. The Royal Statesmen had a verdict, and she was ready to hear it. Anxious, even. She was flagged on both sides by Master Poja and her brother, and they all sat in the throne room, waiting for the Emperor and Empress to come out. Outside the throne room, Zina, Amare, Marjani and Angel were pacing with curiosity even though they couldn’t hear what was going on inside. When the Emperor and Empress eventually came in, the tension in the room tripled. Usually, the Empress would walk closely beside her husband and take her seat after him. This time, she stormed ahead of him and sat long before he did.
- Writer
