Everyone in the palace says I must marry a prince. A nobleman—strong, honorable, dignified.

The problem is, I’ve never been interested in them.

What catches my attention is someone I’m not supposed to notice—my court jester.

She’s different from everyone else here. While the rest of the court bows and speaks with empty pleasantries, she looks at me with a glimmer in her eyes, as if she knows something no one else does. She can make an entire room laugh, but only at me does she throw those knowing smiles. And only to me does she dare say things that might be considered too bold.

"Your Highness, why do you look so tense? Tired of yet another dull banquet?" she ask

I glance at her, but she doesn’t care. She never does. She’s always there—by my side, whether I’m smiling or hiding behind a mask of duty.

And now, standing in the grand hall, I see her again. Surrounded by people who only view her as entertainment, the fool who exists to amuse them. But I see more than that. I see someone who makes my heart race. Someone who, without trying, has stolen something that even the finest princes could never touch.

My heart.