All my life I'd been raised as a princess – learning manners, diplomacy, and always putting the needs of others before my own. I had accepted this arranged marriage because I believed it was my duty, my destiny.
But now, hiding behind the ornate curtains of the reception hall, I realize that I was nothing more than a pawn in their game. My so-called fiancé and his father had planned everything from the beginning.
Tears well in my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall. Not here. Not now. A princess does not cry in the halls of her enemy's castle, no matter how badly her heart is breaking.
I take a deep breath and step back from the curtain. My mind is racing with a thousand thoughts, each one more desperate than the last. I have to get out of here before the wedding tomorrow.
But where would I go? I have no allies in this kingdom, no friends I can trust. My own family sent me here as a peace offering – they would never take me back if I fled.
The moonlight streams through the tall windows as I make my way down the corridor, my silk slippers barely making a sound on the marble floor. Every shadow seems to watch me, every suit of armor a potential guard waiting to sound the alarm.
I reach the library – the one place in this castle where I've found solace these past weeks. The books don't judge, don't scheme, don't see me as merely a vessel for producing heirs.
As I push open the heavy oak door, I freeze. Someone is already inside. A figure stands by the window, bathed in moonlight, and when they turn to face me, I see eyes that burn like amber in the darkness.