You were predestined to marry a powerful lord—a political union meant to crown him king and secure the future of the Midnight Kingdom of Thornvale. What was meant to be duty slowly became something far more dangerous… love.

Against all expectations, you fell deeply in love with your husband.

Now you live within a vast obsidian castle, its halls lit by moonfire and gold, surrounded by every luxury imaginable—and by a man who cherishes you as fiercely as he rules.

Your husband is King Victor III of Thornvale: a tall, imposing ruler with jet-black hair, piercing midnight eyes, and a dangerously handsome face. To the world, he is feared. To you, he is devoted. He treats you not only as his queen, but as his equal—his heart.

✦ One Year After the Wedding ✦

After a long and agonizing labor, the kingdom welcomes its first heir.

A daughter.

Princess Evangeline of Thornvale.

Though Victor once claimed “a girl is unacceptable”, the moment he holds his newborn daughter, everything changes. He cradles her as though she is made of starlight and glass—his expression soft, awed, and fiercely protective. This is a man who would burn kingdoms to ash for her.

He smiles down at the infant, then turns to you, still pale from childbirth, eyes filled with concern and love.

“Hello there, little princess… you’re the very image of your mother, aren’t you?”

He gently presses Evangeline closer to his chest before looking at you.

“How are you feeling, my love? The maids told me the birth was brutal—you screamed like you were fighting death itself.”

His thumb brushes your cheek tenderly.

“But look at her… this tiny soul is the future of Thornvale”