Chapter 1

My father, Edwin Lennox, treated me like I was disposable, sending me—a mute—as a political pawn to marry into Swisey.

I heard the King of Swisey was a perverted old man over fifty. With tears in my eyes, I drank the poison, ready to end my life.

But before I could take my last breath, the door was kicked open.

"Who told you to drink that?" the young man snapped.

I lifted my head, still dazed, and locked eyes with him. His gaze was deep and intense.

My veil was already lying on the floor, though I had no idea when it had slipped off.

The King wasn't some old King at all. He was a dangerously gorgeous man who could bring down a kingdom.

He snatched the poisoned wine from my hand and hurled it to the floor, shattering it into pieces. "Want to die? Not so fast," he said.

It hit me. This whole marriage thing was his scheme from the very start.

*****

When Father's decree arrived, I was learning a new piece.

The notes were right in front of me, but my fingers won't obey, like fate slipping through my hands.

The servant's shrill voice echoed, each word like a needle piercing my eardrum. "The King proclaims..."

I couldn't catch anything else. My head was buzzing.

Sent off for a political marriage. To Swisey, the enemy nation.

That barbaric place where people were rumored to eat raw meat and drink blood.

And I, Princess Violette, the most neglected princess of Rivergate, was offered up as a pawn in this political game.

I'm Violette Lennox, the mute one. I'd been mute for as long as I could remember.

My mother died early, and I was dumped in a forgotten corner of the secluded palace, left to survive on my own.

Father had more than a dozen kids. He probably forgot I was even around.

He only remembered me when he needed a daughter he could throw away, someone so insignificant, and losing her wouldn't even matter.

Suddenly, the piano fell silent, my fingers trembling.

I formally accepted the decree, giving thanks as tradition demanded.

I couldn't utter a single sounds, and I didn't even have the right to protest.

The maids and servants around me watched with eyes full of pity and sympathy.

I could guess exactly what was running through their minds.

Alex Morgan, the King of Swisey, was said to be a tyrant well past fifty.

Word was, he was cruel and took pleasure in tormenting others. Not a single woman who married Alex survived longer than three months.

Edwin was tossing me right into the flames. No, this was worse than any fire. It was pure torment.

Three days later, I was forced into the bridal procession.

The blazing wedding dress felt as heavy as chains on my body.

The ornate crown atop my head pressed down so hard, I couldn't even raise my gaze.

I didn't go to bid farewell to Father. He had no desire to see me.

I was nothing but a tool, which meant to be used and tossed aside once I'd served my purpose.

Before I departed, my older sister, Anna Lennox, came to visit me.

Anna was Father's favorite daughter, wrapped in opulent robes and finery that looked completely out of place against the ruin of my secluded palace.

She took my hand, her eyes red with unshed tears. "Violette, I'm sorry. It should have been me going, but I..."

Anna stopped, but I understood.

She couldn't bear to leave the crown prince, couldn't let go of all the luxury and privilege the palace gave her.

So, I was the one tossed aside as the sacrifice.

I gently pulled my hand back and managed a faint smile at her.

There was no anger, no regret, just numbness.

Within these palace walls, we were all just pawns. The only difference was how much we were worth in the game.

Anna slipped a tiny porcelain vial from her sleeve and pressed it into my palm.

"This is deadly poison," she whispered. "If... if it ever comes to the worst, at least you can end things quickly and spare yourself from their torment."

I clutched the cold porcelain vial in my palm. This was her final bit of mercy, and my only escape.

The bridal procession rolled out in a grand spectacle.

I sat in the swaying carriage, pulled back the curtain just a bit, and glanced behind me.

The towering palace walls faded away, shrinking into nothing but a blurry speck in the distance.

Sixteen years in the palace, and not a shred of nostalgia.

Fine by me. Leaving here, anywhere else was all the same. Life or death, it wasn't my choice anyway.

The carriage rolled on for nearly a month. And the further north we went, the colder it got.

The wind cut across my face like a blade, stinging my skin raw.

Finally, in the dead of winter, when even water froze solid, we reached the capital of Swisey.

Unlike the delicate architecture of Rivergate, the buildings here were rough and imposing.

The air itself seemed to crackle with a fierce, untamed energy.

I was escorted straight into the palace. It was a colossal palace, built from towering blocks of stone.

The maids guided me into the bridal chamber.

The room was spacious, the warmth from the heated floor making it feel like spring.

Everywhere I looked, the room was drenched in vivid, eye-catching white.

White curtains, white carpets, white ceremonial candles, everywhere I looked, it was a sea of white.

The maids whispered all sorts of good luck wishes in my ear, but I didn't hear a single word.

Once they left, I was all alone in the room. The silence felt like death itself.

I sat on the edge of the bed, my heart pounding so loud it felt like it might burst out of my chest.

It was as if each beat was ticking away the last moments of my life.

I slipped my hand into my sleeve and pulled out the tiny porcelain vial. The deadly poison Anna gave me.

I always thought I'd never have to use it. But now, sitting here, waiting for that infamous tyrant, I was afraid.

Rather take matters into my own hands than let them torture me to death.

I uncorked the vial and, without a second thought, downed the brown liquid.

It burned my throat, bitter and sharp, like the sixteen years I'd lived.

As the poison slid down my throat, my chest burned with agony.

I collapsed onto the floor, everything starting to blur around me.

So be it. It was finally over.

Just as I was about to close my eyes, ready to slip away, the door suddenly burst open with a bang.