The prologue is more interesting than I had thought.
At least it protrayed how traumatic the process is for
the king to become so mysogynous.:p
"He has guarded me and tried to keep me pure and chaste,
not realizing that nothing can prevent or alter what is
predestined and that when a woman desires something, no
one can stop her."
"Life has two days: one peace, one wariness,
And has two sides: worry and happiness.
Ask him who taunts us with adversity,
"Does fate, save those worthy of note, oppress?
Don't you see that the blowing, raging storms
Only the tallest of the trees beset,
And of earth's many green and barren lots,
Only the ones with fruits with stones are hit,
And of the countless stars in heaven's vault
None is eclipsed except the moon and sun?
You thought well of the days, when they were good,
Oblivious to the ills destined for one.
You were deluded by the peaceful nights,
Yet in the peace of night does sorrow stun."
"Her life is forfeit to you."
The man's life in the first night's story could be
won back by three stories. Does it mean that one's
life is as cheap as words or words are as precious
as people's life?
Trepidation: Fear
deftly: detexterous