"Everything changed when Lady Sarowa came into the palace. The royal family had a lot of bastard children, but that was normal. Their mothers were paid off to stay away, or they knew better to approach."
Phari sucked in a quick breath.
"But Lady Sarowa made sure the king never forgot about Nikun. She hauled him everywhere, even when his siblings made it clear they didn't want him sharing their lessons." Phari shook her head sadly. "All the boys were bigger and older than him, and even the girls didn't like him, because that would have made them a target."
She continued, "Truthfully, Your Highness, I felt very sorry for him. Back then, he was only a young boy that barely came up to my knee."
