Aphrodite’s POV
One by one, the officials read aloud each of the chosen names and introduced their families. I looked down at the pattern of the carpet, and each of the chosen girls would come out to salute the king and Queen. Their ornate silk dresses rustled. I peeked around. Some of the girls were trembling nervously, and I couldn't help laughing to myself.
I couldn't help peeking at King Nuri. He sat with his head propped up in one hand, his eyes half-closed, looking disinterested. When he saw the nervous and beautiful girls, he waved his hand impatiently, and the girls' dreams were shattered. Poor girls. They must have starved at home for so many days and spent so much time nursing their hair and skin for this selection. Today, they came here in the cold and lost the selection so easily.
