Jacqueline Thornley- Orual Judgment (Till We Have Faces #1)

Queen Orual, you have spoken your grievances with the gods, now listen to truth. You believe you have been wronged, but you are in fact the wrongdoer. I was the god who marked your face that way. It was the greatest gift I have ever given for you had a chance like no one else: you could have been loved and respected and honored for who you really are. You were not held back or hindered by outward beauty, a worthless thing. No one is defined by their face but by their soul. But you turned my gift into jealousy and bitterness. You envied your sister Psyche for something as worthless and uncontrolled as appearance. You wronged her greatly. You thought you acted out of love, yet you have still carried shame and guilt all these years. Orual, you learned of your own story from the priest in Essur, but you still refused to accept the truth. Not until you saw Psyche again did you realize and admit your hate. My judgment is mercy. You have already lived a life of self induced suffering, though you had every possibility of happiness in front of you. I wish for no more tragedy.