But you should know the love can wear away under the stress of being married. Someone you think you love now, you might start to hate when he couldn't take care of your children, it'd be even worse. Love doesn't always survive under those circumstances.

So he enjoys a girl who stands up to him," Dad said once we all calmed down. "I like him more already.

But I guessed she would never stop wanting more for me, more from me. Maybe that's what mothers did.

I felt the little beads of sweat pooling on my temple. Sit here and look nice...I could do that. But answer questions? I knew I wasn't going to win this little game; that wasn't the issue. I just really, really didn't want to look like a moron in front of the entire country.

It was almost comforting, this mutual acceptance of our secrets.

I let myself be sad. I let myself think of him.

You’re too beautiful for your own good. Once you leave, we’ll have to send some of the guards with you. You’ll never survive on your own, poor thing.