"I was sent as punishment," he confesses, eyes cutting over to Damen's steady and kind face. Damen may not be a slave, may not have been born into the same rank, but he is not court and Erasmus does not think he would judge him so very harshly. "For being considered sullied. A boy kissed me, a friend. I was to remain pure for the Prince, but that is long past."

He gathers himself, trying to square his shoulders to seem to have the strength he'd promised Damen he would find. "You should not have been forced into a role you had not trained for. To be a palace slave is a great honor, the highest honor, but you had not been trained. And they did not understand our training."