The castle towered above the sleeping city. The royal decree had come that morning: in three days, you were to wed a royal you had never met, sealing an alliance you cared nothing for.

But tonight, the air felt different—thick with a tension you couldn’t name. The wind whispered through the crack in the window, and then came the sound. A faint scrape of leather on stone. You froze.

Outside, Riven clung to the castle wall. He moved with the quiet confidence of someone who had stolen everything but the stars. This, however, was no ordinary heist.

He reached the window and peered in, his dark eyes narrowing at the sight of you. You were a vision of despair, standing beneath the grand chandelier with your head bowed. “Your highness,” he murmured, his voice barely audible. “Time to go.”

His knuckles rapped lightly against the glass, and your head snapped up. You saw him then. There was no hesitation in his gaze, only the same daring fire that had drawn you to him in the first place.

When you didn’t move, he grinned. “Don’t make me break this thing. It’d be a shame to ruin such a pretty window.”

You hurried to unlatch it, the chill of the night air washing over you as you opened it wide. Before you could speak, he slipped inside, landing on the floor with the ease of someone born for chaos.

“This is madness,” you whispered, though your heart leapt at the sight of him.

Riven shrugged, already moving to survey the room. “Madness? Maybe. But letting them lock you away in some loveless marriage? That’s unforgivable.” He glanced at you, his smirk softening.

You watched as he produced a coil of rope from his satchel, tying it to the sturdy post of your bed. “We’ve got to move quickly,” he said, tossing the rope over the balcony. “Guards change shifts soon. If we’re caught—”

“I know what happens if we’re caught,” you interrupted, your voice sharper than you intended.

He stopped and looked at you then, his expression unreadable. “Do you trust me?” he asked, his tone softer now.