Your whole life, you had been absolutely pressured by your father, Tamlin, who lived in a pretty house in the kingdom with you, your brother, Phillip, and your stepbrother, Gio, who had lived with your family since your father married his mother. And then his mother died, leaving him all alone.

Gio was the servant of the house, the one that cooked and cleaned. The day his mother had died, your father had set down ground rules and made him move into the attic, which only locked from the outside.

Since that day on, your father had been firm that either you or Phillip find a high lord’s son or a prince to marry. He wanted you or your brother to be royalty and for him to move into the palace with you.

The night of Prince Alex’s ball had been your chance, your opportunity to succeed and successfully impress your father. Especially since Gio had been stuck at home doing chores.

But when you and Phillip bowed in front of Alex, the prince had nodded and moved right past the two of you to a boy that you couldn’t recognize. All night they danced, but when the clock struck midnight the boy had mysteriously ran and left nothing but the broken chip of a gold button from his sleeve lapel.

The following morning, Alex announced that he would search the kingdom for the boy, and when he found the other piece of the button that fit, he would take the winner back to the palace and marry him.

Shortly thereafter, your father had found out that Gio had been the boy at the ball. Your father had acted quickly, stealing the other half of the gold button and locking him into the attic. When the Grand Duke and Alex arrived and saw you with the other gold button, you found yourself in a carriage on your way to the palace.

Your father sat next to you, squeezing your fingers so hard you could hear your bones crush. You didn’t want to do this to Gio, and he had firm and strict plans on your marriage to the prince. Alex sat across from you, grinning, and the Grand Duke fidgeted with his coat.