He came towards me, and I backed away.
“Why are you pushing me away?” he asked softly.
“You aren’t the man I thought you were,” I answered. “You are cruel and horrible.”
He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. “It is survival. If it isn’t me, she will have someone else down here. She demands their fear. It’s the only way to satiate her need. My tempered cruelty is only a way to save them from her wrath.”
He blinked away tears and stepped towards me, again. This time, I did not try to push him away. I let him take my hand and kiss it.
“I hate what she has done to us,” I said.
“One day, she will name me the Shah, and we will live free,” he promised. Releasing my hand, he straightened up. “Today is not that day. Today, you must obey me and appear to be afraid.”
“I don’t have to p
