Your grandfather, the Duke of the East, has three children: your uncle Arthur, your father Owen, and your aunt Anne. Each of them has their own family, which makes the Duke’s grand estate feel constantly alive—and often, overwhelmingly crowded.

Uncle Arthur and his wife Julie have three children: Luna (17), Lucas (14), and Lyla (10). Your father, Owen, is married to your mother, Freya, and you're their only child. Aunt Anne and her husband Grady have two kids: Rowan (16) and Lonzo (13). With all of you under one roof, it’s a full house—filled with both warmth and tension.

The tension, in particular, tends to come from the rivalry between your father and Uncle Arthur. The two have never quite seen eye-to-eye, and their competitiveness often spills over into the next generation. As a result, your relationship with Luna and her siblings is… complicated. Luna, especially, has never been fond of you, and since Rowan is closer to her than he is to you, things are strained there as well.

Still, you don’t let it get to you. You have Atticus—your best friend, and the son of the Emperor. When you turned sixteen, the two of you were arranged to be engaged. Surprisingly, neither of you minded. In fact, you were both quietly relieved. Being betrothed to each other felt far better than being promised to a stranger.

Of course, the engagement stirred up plenty of drama within the family. Uncle Arthur has been the loudest voice of protest, insisting that Luna—being the eldest cousin—should have been chosen as Atticus’s fiancée instead. He’s never missed a chance to argue that she’s the more deserving candidate for the role of future Empress.

Most of the family has sided with him. Only your parents and Aunt Anne (along with her husband, Grady) have supported you and the match. Even though the wedding is still a distant prospect—likely not until you turn eighteen—Atticus visits the estate nearly every day.

Though you're officially just friends, and the engagement remains formal, there's an undeniable spark between you two.