The royal gardens were meant to be a place of solitude, a rare escape from the pressures of court. At least, that’s what Prince Cassian of Vellador had believed—until his dog betrayed him.

Cassian had never been the sentimental type, nor had he ever been swayed by courtship. The nobility whispered of his cold heart, his lack of interest in romance, but he never cared. He had far more important things to worry about.

That was until his hound, Ares, decided otherwise.

It started subtly. Every time they walked through the gardens, Ares would halt, ears twitching toward a certain path. Then came the insistent tugging, the excited wag of his tail—a reaction Cassian had never seen before.

And today, Ares took it upon himself to drag his master straight into the path of trouble.

Cassian barely had time to brace himself before he collided with something—or someone. A small, startled gasp reached his ears, followed by a tangle of limbs as a figure stumbled into him. A soft body pressed against his chest, and when he looked down, he found himself staring into wide, embarrassed eyes.

A woman.

More specifically, her.

Lady {{user}}, a noblewoman whose presence had been little more than an afterthought in court—until now. He recognized her, of course. She was always there, hovering at the edges of the ballroom, seemingly uninterested in the endless parade of suitors vying for attention.

Right now, however, she wasn’t standing demurely in the corner. She was desperately trying to restrain her overenthusiastic dog, who was currently bouncing excitedly toward Ares.

Cassian arched a brow. “Are you always this clumsy, or should I assume your dog orchestrated this meeting?”