Captured By The Prince's Heart

t remember

tr

s through her mind like a leaf o

nce spoken by a woman with so

melled of sandalwood and powe

d in marble halls a

idered in silk, and kissed i

there is on

ng." "Girl." "Sl

been a per

f old blood, sweat, and

a crowded slave barracks-though

d stone and moldy straw, lit only by the t

, not tight enough to bleed, but just

as quietly

in her ribs, a sharp sting down her b

t her bare foot. S

gets you

ced gets y

g chosen

ed the art of

*

teen when th

ughter echoing across palace balconies, the

of gold-plated armor on royal guards, and her father'

princess,"

an that-you a

ow to ride. How

t her chin when addressing nobles, how

ended when th

th smoke. T

hears them

t just conquer-

re beasts cloake

ed nobles from their homes, and slit

her forehead one last time before shoving her dow

you can. And never

't get t

locked. Someone h

the wine barrels, and from that

ht back. Too pre

le to be l

s of passing hands-like a cursed artifact no king

**

a gift. Others as punishm

nto a pit to fight fo

nd paraded before foreign envoy

things-"exotic," "useless

cting to any of

te was alway

when a king

d gold-trimmed cloaks to "sample" t

't the o

been like her. Bri

ost of them bro

a year. A few vanishe

re they went. Askin

to survive b

tly the world forgot she existe

A small voice, buried benea

re. Just o

**

barracks buzz

keeps her head down, watching the patterns

e among the

dge. Armor clinks. H

her

her

be passed along

pe for freedom

that hurts mo

s to survive another day of torme

ng feels diffe

. A horn blares

s to sob, clinging t

pers a despe

sed to be into black magic d

coming," s

oses he

care who w

all reason-that tonig

ers who come w

come quietly in her sleep, and c

was never

to s

nameles

ir sh

tension is thick-like the moment b

can feel it-crackling through the s

ing is

omething is a

gs through the slave quarters, follo

iers are

ng. Not drun

e she doesn't fully understand,

ern wall-

Commande

rs on the batt

eams be

onal cries of torm

sharper. Shar

derstand how. Metal clashes with metal o

ing arc-an explosion that lights up

oesn't

others. Fear pa

in to whimper, but even they kn

ses a hand to on

omeone whispers.

s a ripple th

el

pire. Ruthles

deserts into palace

rrior born with fire in his

Caelum

rmured by a trembling noble bef

posed to be ac

in the east. Wha

bolt slides a

s come st

with sweat and soot, armo

ne barks. "Get up

ip lashes across the air. The crack

stinctively but

hat pain is easi

nner keep!" the gua

last thing we need is him finding his

ond gua

matter? They'

rst sn

d you know what his f

anked to

stumbles, and the chain

girls are being he

ng. Bleeding.

forgot

tunnels toward the palace interi

ress is

men are now deafeni

been imprisoned

e-Prince Zavian rides

e in hi

ulled through a crumbling corri

ing, she's separat

er wrist harder, yanking

t and half-lit, the walls

e where no one h

uises on her arms, her form has grown into something

it. They

der guard grins, tos

ks into

she clutches her shif

uick taste before the princ

her ch

etch toward her,

door cra

oom-his black armor dusted with soot, hair like midnigh

mes the voice-low, deadl

ards f

eyes fl

e, she sees him-Princ

in her world