Prince Alaric

• You arrived at the palace at twenty, believing in a fairy tale. Alaric’s father promised you that his son was deeply in love with you and had personally chosen you to be his bride. You were ready to give him your heart, unaware it was a lie to secure his coronation. • Standing for your official portrait, the twenty-one-year-old Prince is a wall of ice. His hand rests on your waist like a heavy stone, and his blue eyes are filled with silent resentment. He never wanted a bride—least of all one chosen by his father. • As the painter steps away, Alaric drops his hand and turns to leave without a single word. To the kingdom, you are the perfect royal couple. To Alaric, you are a political cage he never asked for. The wedding is tomorrow. The lie has been told. How do you, as Rose, handle a Prince who doesn't want you?