Chapter 1

On the eve of the royal wedding, my elder sister drugged me.

She stripped the white lace from my body and donned the bridal gown herself. "I'll marry that crippled heir in your place," she sneered, gripping my jaw with bruising force. "The Crown Prince is a bloodthirsty savage. You can go die in my stead."

My father pushed open the door, looking at me coldly. "Dying in your sister's stead is a blessing you don't deserve," he muttered.

On his command, the servants shoved me into a dilapidated carriage.

I was carried through the side gates of the palace and into the suffocating gloom of the prince's manor.

There, my bridal veil was ripped away by the tip of a blood-stained broadsword.

The prince, the man rumored to kill without blinking, wrapped his hand around my throat.

I stared back into his vicious eyes and, without flinching, reached out to grasp the sharp edge of his blade.

"Your Highness," I whispered, "I have brought the seal of the legions you've been looking for."

*****

The edge of Alistair Sterling's sword sliced deep into my palm, and blood dripped onto the marble floor. He laughed, a sound that sent a shiver of pure terror down my spine.

"The seal?" he drawled, leaning in close, the scent of iron and blood clinging to him. "Do you really think Liam Linwood, that old fool, would be generous enough to give the seal to an illegitimate daughter who is nothing more than a substitute bride?"

I looked him directly in the eyes. "If you don't believe me, you're welcome to search me."

Ignoring my protests, he ripped through the fabric of my gown. His cold fingers grazed my collarbone, but then he stopped. The seal was not there.

"You dare play games with me," he snarled.

He suddenly tightened his grip on my neck, lifting me until my feet dangled in the air. As the air left my lungs and panic set in, I clawed at his hand.

"In the... ruined chapel... outside the city," I managed to choke out.

He threw me to the ground like a piece of trash. He called for his guards and ordered them to lock me in the dog kennel to keep the General company. He commanded that no one give me food or water without his explicit order.

The General he mentioned was the most vicious mastiff in the palace.

I was dragged away roughly and tossed into a rusted iron cage that reeked of filth. As the massive dog bared its teeth at me, I curled into a corner and bit my lip.

Vanessa Linwood and Liam Linwood had pushed me into hell. I told myself that if I survived this, I would drag them down with me.

The next morning, the door to the cage was kicked open with a deafening crash. I opened my eyes to see Vanessa standing there, dressed in the opulent gowns. She covered her nose with a silk handkerchief, her eyes full of disgust.

"Look who it is," she mocked, kicking the iron bars. "My dear little sister, how are you enjoying your stay in the palace kennels?"

I stared at her coldly. "What do you want?"

"I came to thank you," she laughed, her whole body shaking with delight. "Thanks to you taking my place, I get to be with Benson Johnston."

She crouched down, watching me through the railing. "You know, Benson has been so good to me. Last night, he..."

She cut herself off, making sure I saw the hickeys on her neck. "He might be a cripple, but he's quite functional where it counts."

I remained silent, fixing my gaze on her. She seemed unsettled by my stare and suddenly snapped, "What are you looking at? You think you're ever getting out of here alive."

She picked up a bucket of sour, smelling slop and poured it over me. "Eat up. This is a special gift I secured just for you."

As the filth dripped from my hair, the dog approached to lick the remains from the floor. I wiped the grime from my face. "I'll remember your kindness, Vanessa."

Vanessa sneered and walked away. "Enjoy the slow crawl to death. Your days are numbered."

Outside the cage, a pair of black leather boots came to a halt. Alistair stood there, silently playing with a ring on his finger.