TWENTY-NINE
Punish your wives for being unfaithful, the witch's voice whispered in Yun's head. Put your children to death for being bastards. Then return to me and battle with your brothers, for the victor will have me and the throne.
Over and over, the words repeated, as he tried to shake them out of his head. He felt the compulsion to obey, but the thought of a woman as spoils of war turned his stomach.
And Ava...Ava...he took one look at her and the witch's voice rose in volume, drowning out Ava's sweet tones. A wife who had not yet given him children because he had not given them to her. The throne was not his. Never would be his. Leave it for his brothers to fight over.
Punish your wife! The witch's voice rose to a shriek in his head.
Yun took Ava's arm and repeated the witch
