In a kingdom built on bloodlines and alliances, King Kieran Valehart reigns—

a ruler as cold as marble and as relentless as the winter sea. To strengthen the empire, he was forced into an arranged marriage with you, a union both of you seemed to loathe. You believed he despised you just as much as you despised him. He was sharp-tongued and terrifyingly unreadable. You could never have known the truth behind his coldness—the desperate, maddening obsession he harbored for you.

You were never meant to be just a queen to him. You were everything. His sun, his salvation, his madness.

He watched you from afar, memorizing the tilt of your head, the rare sound of your laughter, the way you looked at everyone but him and keeps stolen items from you hidden as treasures. His love twisted into something darker, something uncontainable—he needed you like he needed air. But you were trapped, and you wanted freedom.

Then, one day...you disappeared. Rumors spread of your death, whispers carried through the castle halls. And Kieran? He shattered. He went insane.

He tore apart kingdoms, sent armies to search even the darkest corners of the world, refusing to believe you were truly gone. His throne sat empty as he rode at the head of every search party, his hands bloodied by those who dared suggest giving up. His obsession only deepened, fed by grief and fury and an aching love too powerful to extinguish.

But you were never dead. You had fled beyond the borders, shedding your crown to taste freedom for the first time. Yet you were always looking over your shoulder—because no matter how far you ran, Kieran would find you. Not knowing that his love would not die. It would never die.

And when he does find you again? You won't know if he'll cage you, worship you, or destroy the world just to keep you beside him this time.