Blood covered the ground. Smoke rose from the burning tents. Kael Draven stood in the middle of the mess, sword still dripping red. The last enemy soldiers knelt in front of him, begging for their lives.He did not care.“Throw their heads with the rest,” he ordered. His voice was cold and steady. “Valoria does not keep cowards.”His men cheered. They had won again. Another kingdom crushed. Another victory for the young prince who never lost.Kael wiped his blade on a dead man’s cloak. He felt the same fire in his chest that always came after a fight. Power. Control. Nothing could touch him.Then a horse galloped through the smoke.Torin, his personal guard, jumped down fast. His face was pale.“Your Highness… the letter. From the palace.”Kael took it. Read it once. Then again.King Theron was dying.The fire in his chest turned to ice.He did not speak. He just turned and started walking. “We leave now. Anyone who slows me down stays behind.”Three days of hard riding later, Kael st

Kael stood over the last man on the ground. His breath came hard. The empty gun felt heavy in his hand. Around him the other attackers were either down or running.The tall man in the fancy coat had already dragged the girl back toward the black carriage. He looked at Kael with sharp eyes.“You fight like someone who has killed before,” the man said.Kael kept his face blank. “I just wanted the noise to stop.”The girl pulled her arm free. Dirt streaked her cheeks. Her blue eyes locked on Kael and filled with pure dislike.“Throw him some coins and send him away,” she said coldly. “I don’t need a dirty street rat following us.”She opened a small bag and tossed a handful of money at Kael’s feet. The coins hit the dirt with a soft clink.Kael stared at the money. Once he could have bought a whole house with that. Now the rules said he could not keep any of it. He bent down, picked every coin up, and held them out to her.“I don’t want your money,” he said. “But you should know it takes

Kael landed between Lyra and the man with the silver pin. Dust rose around his boots.The man took one step back, surprised. “The stable boy? This is not your fight.”Kael did not answer. He just looked at him the way he used to look at enemies on the battlefield.Lyra’s voice shook. “He’s one of Varian’s men. He was waiting for me.”Before the man could speak again, more footsteps came from the main doors. Charles appeared, face pale. Behind him walked a tall man in a black coat with gold edges—Lord Varian himself. A crowd of rich guests followed, whispering.Varian’s eyes moved from Lyra to Kael and narrowed.“So this is where the little princess ran,” Varian said, voice smooth and cold. “And she brought a servant to protect her? How sweet.”Lyra’s hands curled into fists. Kael could see she was terrified, but she did not step back.Charles tried to speak. “Brother, let us return inside. The ceremony—”“The ceremony is a joke,” Varian cut in. “Everyone knows she will choose me. Or h

Lyra’s heart hammered so hard she thought everyone could hear it.Varian stood too close. His breath smelled like wine and something bitter. The crowd watched like it was a show.“You are lying,” Varian said. “A princess does not choose a stable boy.”Lyra forced her voice to stay steady. “I am not lying. I am pregnant. The child is his.”The hall went dead quiet.Charles’s face was white, but he played his part. He grabbed Kael’s shirt and shoved him. “You dare touch my sister!”Kael did not fight back. He just stood there, calm, like the shouting did not touch him.Varian laughed. “Prove it. Who will believe this trash is the father?”One of Varian’s men stepped forward and grabbed Lyra’s arm. She flinched.That was when Kael moved.He pulled her behind him in one smooth step and looked at the man like he was already planning how to break him.“Let her go,” Kael said. His voice was low and cold.The man sneered. “Or what, beggar?”Kael did not answer with words. He twisted the man’s

Riven stopped dead outside the door. The words hit him harder than any punch.Serena’s voice was low and sharp. “He cannot stay here. Find a way to make him leave before the month ends. If Lord Kane learns too much about him… we are all dead.”A man’s voice answered. Smooth. Cold. One Riven had never heard before.“Do not worry, Princess. I already have a plan.”Riven’s hand tightened on the door frame. The warm power in his blood woke up at once. It pushed against his ribs like it wanted out. He forced it down. This was not the time to lose control.He pushed the door open.Serena spun around. Her face went white. The man beside her took one step back. He was thin, with sharp eyes and a small silver pin on his coat. Not a servant. Not family either.“You left the room,” Serena said. Her voice shook a little. “I told them to keep you inside.”Riven looked straight at the stranger. “Who is he?”The man smiled too fast. “Just a helper, my lord. Nothing more.”“I’m not your lord,” Riven