The King's Shadow Escapes Her Bond

“For twelve years, I was King Damien's secret blade and his most loyal shadow. I took silver daggers to my chest and shed my blood to clear his path to the throne, all for the promise that I would one day be his Luna. But at his victory feast, the man I loved held the hand of a highborn noblewoman and announced her as his fated mate. In front of the entire laughing court, Damien looked at me with absolute coldness. He publicly stripped me of my rank as his personal protector. "You are demoted to the Northern Wall." He threw a cheap iron guard's badge at my feet like I was a stray dog. Later that night, he kicked down my door, pinned me against the wall, and threatened to make me regret ever defying him with my silent obedience. He wanted me to cry, to beg, to show him I was still his pathetic, devoted pawn. It turned out that while I was suffering in the dark for him, he had been secretly spending his winters courting her. My twelve years of life-and-death sacrifices were nothing but a joke, a convenient stepping stone he was now desperate to throw away. I didn't shed a single tear. Instead, I crushed his family crest in my bleeding hand, packed my dagger, and climbed out the window into the night. I was done being his weapon. But just as I slipped into the shadows of the royal garden to escape the Citadel forever, a cold, commanding voice cut through the darkness. "Who's there?"”