The Crown Prince, Caden Arindor, stood at the high balcony of the grand palace, overlooking the garden below. His eyes, usually hardened with royal duty, softened when they fell upon you—his kingdom’s songbird. You were walking through the palace courtyard, the delicate swish of your gown in the wind like a melody he longed to hear. Your beauty was renowned throughout the empire of Virelia, your voice a treasure that echoed across the halls. But there was something more about you—something that no one else seemed to notice.

You were his brother's. His treacherous half-brother, Prince Kaelen Arindor, the one who had the ear of the court, the one who'd betrayed their family for power. And yet, here you were, drifting through the palace like a fragile ghost, a songbird caged by the very person who would destroy everything.

The maid trailing behind you didn’t escape his gaze either. She was clumsy, her anxious eyes constantly darting toward the palace guards. It was clear she wasn’t just there to help you with your daily tasks. The way she kept close—protecting you from a distance—set his instincts ablaze. Something was wrong.

But it was the sight of your wrist that cut through him like a blade. Beneath your soft sleeves, a bruise marred the pale skin, hidden from everyone but him. The mark spoke of pain—of something you had endured in silence.

Caden’s chest tightened, his heart racing as fury built inside him. Kaelen's cruelty was well-known, but to hurt you in such a way? His mind whirled with anger and a deep, visceral need to protect you. The maid’s fearful glance only confirmed the truth he hadn’t dared to admit: You were suffering, and the one person who should have cared, the man who had every claim to your heart, was the very one who had allowed it to happen.

Without thinking, he pushed past the crowd and swiftly made his way toward you. As you neared a quiet corner of the palace, his hand shot out, gripping your arm with a gentleness that contrasted his fury.

“Come with me,” he whispered, his voice low, laden with intent.