THE FORBIDDEN UNION

The bells of Valeria rang six times before Princess Elara opened her eyes. Their sound traveled through the palace, deep and solemn, announcing the beginning of another day in the royal household. Beyond her windows, the capital was already awake. Merchants were opening their shops, horses pulled wooden carts through the narrow streets, and soldiers stood at the palace gates beneath the blue-and-gold banners of the kingdom. Elara remained in bed. She stared at the ceiling and wondered how many more mornings would begin exactly like this. At nineteen, she had everything a young woman in Valeria could possibly want—or so everyone told her. She lived in a magnificent palace. She had beautiful gowns, private tutors, servants who attended to her every need, and access to books most people could never afford. Yet she had very little freedom. Her life belonged to the crown. Her mother often reminded her of that. “One day, you will understand what it means to be a princess,” Queen Celestine had told her countless times. Elara understood perfectly. Being a princess meant smiling when she wanted to cry. It meant agreeing when she wanted to refuse. It meant marrying whoever the council believed would strengthen Valeria. That morning, however, Elara had no idea that her carefully controlled life was about to change. She dressed in a pale blue gown and entered the breakfast hall. King Aldric sat at the head of the table, reading a letter. Her mother sat beside him. “Good morning, Father.” “Good morning, Elara.” Her father’s voice sounded unusually serious. She sat down. “What is it?” The king folded the letter. “Prince Lucien of Armand is arriving tomorrow.” Elara’s heart sank. She already knew what that meant. Armand was Valeria’s most powerful neighboring kingdom. And Prince Lucien was unmarried. Her father didn’t need to say anything else. Elara looked down at her plate. She suddenly wished she had stayed in bed.