The ride to Prince Ethan's kingdom felt like both a blur and a silent war zone in my chest. No one said a word. I sat beside him in the carriage, my hands still trembling from everything that had just happened — my near-death experience, the lashes that had already begun to bruise my skin, the shame, the false accusations. And now this prince, this stranger, had “bought” me under the claim of a ritual offering. But why?
I didn’t trust it. Not yet.
The golden gates of his kingdom finally opened after hours of travel. The guards bowed low as we passed. The castle was massive and beautifully designed — white marbled floors, tall vine-covered pillars, and a garden even more glorious than the royal grounds I’d left behind. But I couldn’t enjoy the beauty. Not now. I was too alert, too ready f
