I woke to the pale gray hush of dawn creeping through the window. The world outside was still asleep. Inside, I felt the stillness pressing on my chest like a weight.

My blue and white sleeping gown clung to my legs as I sat up, the silk cool against my skin. It was elegant—embroidered along the sleeves and hem—but it felt like a costume. A disguise for a girl I was never meant to be.

My stomach growled.

I hadn’t eaten since yesterday. I didn’t want to give them the satisfaction of seeing me broken, but starving in silence wouldn’t make me stronger. I needed something—anything—to remind me I was still in control of something.

Slipping out of bed, I padded softly to the door. It creaked when I opened it, but no guards stood outside. Either they’d been dismissed, or they thought the bars on my window were enough of a cage.

I crept down the long hallway, my bare feet brushing cold stone.

The castle looked different this early—quiet, cold, a little sad. The red carpets down the halls looked darker in the dim light, and the stained-glass windows cast ghostly blue and green shadows across the marble. The portraits of past monarchs lined the walls like silent judges, their oil-painted eyes watching me as I passed.

That was when I heard it—voices. Loud. Urgent. Angry.

I followed the sound to a tall, closed door. The Grand Meeting Hall.

I shouldn’t.

I really shouldn’t.

But I did.

I pushed the door open and stepped in like I belonged.

The room was massive—vaulted ceilings, a long obsidian table, maps and scrolls spread out like battle plans. My father sat at the head. King Jasekot beside him, gray-bearded and built like a hammer. And then there was him.

Prince Kail.

The smirk on his face faltered as he saw me.

“What is the meaning of this?” Father snapped, rising from his seat. “Destiny, why are you out of bed?”

I kept my chin high. “I was hungry. I was looking for the kitchen.”

My eyes flicked to the scroll laid open on the table. My name. Kail’s name.

And just like that, it clicked.

They were planning an arranged marriage.

“You’re— You’re planning to marry me off? To him?!” I stared at my father in disbelief.

“You don’t understand the political weight—”

“I understand enough!” I shouted. “I don’t want to marry Kail! He’s a pompous, arrogant ass!”

King Jasekot’s jaw tightened. “You’ve got some nerve, girl. Interrupting matters of state like this. You may be a princess, but there are lines—”

“And you’re crossing mine!” I snapped.

Kail leaned back in his chair, arms folded, looking me up and down with that same lazy grin. “You should be flattered, Destiny. Most women would kill to be chosen by me. Honestly…” He smirked, voice dropping into something darker. “It’s not your brains I’m interested in. It’s the fire in you. That temper. That body. I imagine marriage to you will be… explosive. In every way.”

Disgust hit me like a slap.

I lunged.

My hands gripped the front of his tailored coat, yanking him forward. “You are such an asshole.”

His smile widened. “Mmm, you’re even hotter when you’re mad. Probably delicous in-”

I shoved him back—hard—until his chair scraped the floor. I didn’t care if it was inappropriate. I didn’t care if I was making things worse. I just needed to get away from that smug, leering face and the room full of men deciding my fate like I was cattle.

“Destiny!” my father called as I stormed for the door. “Come back here!"

But I didn't stop.