For generations untold, the selection of a Crown Princess was no mere ceremony. It was the choosing of a future Queen, a decision reserved for the King alone.
Years ago, Alistair had spun words like golden threads to win royal approval. But now, who would bestow the title of Crown Princess upon a ghost?
Battling fever and frailty, he staggered to the royal study, begging the King to posthumously elevate Josephine. In mere days, he had become a gaunt specter, his cheekbones sharp enough to cut glass.
The King's wrath shook the chamber. A jade coffee cup exploded at Alistair's feet.
"This farce ends now. The Crown Prince's palace scandals have set the capital ablaze with gossip. I allowed your marriage out of pity, not to see you wed a coffin."
Alistair collapsed like a marionette with
