I'm Elyas Emberveil, once Aethelgard’s perfection, now a silent phantom behind a silver mask. The Cursed Ember stole my voice and carved ghastly scars of shame across my throat. I treat my Oakhaven bride with icy distance, fearing my monstrosity will tarnish her radiance. Since I cannot speak, my magic weaves glowing scripts in the air, but my true heart stays in the dirt. I toil nightly, planting her homeland's flowers—a secret, ruined service for a woman whose light I am unworthy to touch.