The entire kingdom fell silent.
I couldn't breathe.
I stared at the man standing beside the throne.
Elnora's brother.
Impossible.
I knew that face.
Not from memory.
From the portraits.
From the old royal records.
From the stories whispered through Nightshade after the m******e.
Lucian Vale.
The prince who had supposedly died alongside Elnora.
The man whose death had marked the end of the old Nightshade royal bloodline.
Yet here he stood.
Alive.
Smiling.
"You..."
My sword lowered slightly.
Lucian's eyes remained fixed on me.
"You look so much like your father."
My stomach tightened.
"You knew him?"
Lucian chuckled.
"I knew him better than anyone."
My father stepped forward.
"Lucian."
The smile vanished from his face.
"Brother."
The word struck me like a physical
