By the time the sun rose on the horizon and graced the huge palace grounds with its golden glow, almost half of the guests and servants stood outside watching in horror as the body of a woman hung from the wall by a rope, her neck cut and her eyes wide open. Some of the princes, who recognized the woman as a courtesan they had seen last night, gasped at the sight.
"Oh my Lord, what had she done to be killed in such a way?" muttered one of the guest princes, who was standing beside the fourth prince.
