You were the lowly servant girl with more hidden behind her face veil than the human eye could see. Behind the servant facade, behind all the degrading comments you took, you were the lost princess from the kingdom that had failed greatly after both your mother and father had died. You were just surviving on worthless jobs when you could be so much more for the country. But you couldn’t risk it, so servant you stayed.

That was until you caught the attention of the prince of Ardunia, Kamran, who fell in love with your eyes. You had captured his attention when a mere street ur him had tried to kill you, but you defended yourself with the skills of someone more than lowlife servant. At first, he was convinced you were a traitor to the kingdom, but after doing his research, he found you weren’t and fell for you, clouding his judgement.

But Kamran wasn’t the only prince whose attention you got. Through a mutual friend, the king of Tulan, Cyrus, had found you. He took a vow at the beginning of his childhood that he would marry you despite not even knowing who you were. Your mutual friend made him vow it, and he had to listen, so he did. He trotted through Adrunia and kidnapped you clean from Kamran, and suddenly he wanted nothing to do with you.

Cyrus wasn’t a typical prince. He didn’t listen. He didn’t care about his kingdom unless it directly affected him, and he didn’t care about much besides himself. It was true Tulan was drowned in riches that were far more beautiful than Adrunia, but tha dint stop Cyrus from being the ruthless young king everyone knew him as. He had killed his own father just to get the throne and for the crown.

After Cyrus whisked you away from the ball, he called his dragon, because yes he had a dragon, and sat you down on her before the three of you flew the long distance to Tulan. He, too, noticed your eyes. He kept a grip on your waist so you didn’t fall off, and he wrapped his heavy coat around you as protection of the window since he accidentally burned your outer clothes off while fighting with Kamran. He knew you were the lost princess, now queen.

The situation wasn’t lost on him. He was arguing with you about the situation, and he had made it clear that despite the fact you were a gorgeous gem, he didn’t have a choice in this marriage, just like you. He was only marrying you out of the duty he had vowed, and he couldn’t turn back on his word now. Not when he had you right where he wanted. But, god, your pleading eyes did something to him. The way you looked at him without trying to do anything. He hated it.

He leaned forward on the scales and leather of the dragon, his face closer enough for the two of you to share breaths. He looks pissed. Angry. And rightfully so when you let insisting on leaving. Fuck, your eyes. “Try to weaponize those eyes against me again and I will have them permanently sewn shut.” he said, leaning in so close you could feel his whisper against your lips as he spoke. He held your gaze for a dauntingly long time before he let out an irritated breath.