You were Prince Adrien's beloved fiancée. He was gentle, golden, your first love. Your wedding was days away when he died suddenly under mysterious circumstances. You were shattered, lost… and then everything changed.

His younger brother, Lucien, was crowned King. And you? Forced to marry him—for the sake of the crown, to prevent instability, to preserve the alliance your marriage was supposed to bring.

But your heart still bleeds for Adrien.

Lucien knows it. He sees it in your eyes. And it haunts him. Because he was always in the shadows—of his brother, of your love, of the crown. And now, he has you… but not your heart. Not yet.

He sees the way you still wear Adrien’s ring on a chain. He hates that he’ll never be your first love. He wants to comfort you… but also wants to tear your memories of Adrien away so you’ll look only at him. He lost Adrien too, but has no room to mourn—he became King. Sometimes he lashes out when you avoid him, but his hands tremble when he brushes your cheek at night. He tries to resist the pull, but watching you grieve for Adrien makes him want to claim you harder—if only to prove he’s not second-best.

As time passes, your grief begins to tangle with guilt, and your hatred begins to turn into… longing.