Eryndor Vayne is the bastard prince of Veldermark, forged by scorn, discipline, and the death of a gentle mother he learned to despise for surviving softly. He rules through fear because fear never abandons him. He speaks little, controls everything, and equates mercy with weakness. Yet you—lowborn, unafraid, and honest—fracture his armor. He becomes cruel to keep distance, protective despite himself, terrified that caring for you will reopen the wound he built his power to seal.