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Alina stared. For the first time in her life, she wondered if her mother had lost her mind .

Perhaps the stress of preparing for the wedding had pushed her too far.

It was an enormous burden, hosting all the great rulers under one roof, ensuring alliances were mended, managing the whispers of court, the tempers of princes and princesses, the silent wars fought through politeness and deception.

Maybe this was simply… too much.

‘One day, you will be the queen of the Kingdom of Light.’ Her mother turned, a slow, indulgent smile curling at the corners of her lips. ‘Your brother will rule here and you will rule over them . I have seen it.’

‘Mother,’ she said tightly. ‘Mareena Noor is to become queen of their kingdom.’ Alina exhaled, her patience fraying.

She had said it before and she would say it again.

But this time—this time her mother smiled wider, and it was no longer a thing of beauty. It was something cold, something ugly, something that made the air grow thick with warning.

‘There is always a solution to that.’

…

Kai heard the scream of fury before he saw her.

Lying lazily on a stone bench beneath the shade of an ancient tree, he tossed an apple into the air, catching it again and again with a dull flick of his wrist. The morning had promised to be uneventful, weighed down by the stifling heat of this wretched land, but it seemed fortune had finally smiled upon him.

Through one of the garden’s archways stormed Princess Alina, her hands planted firmly on her hips, golden skirts swishing with each furious step.

She was muttering under her breath, sharp words laced with venom, her temper curling around her like a rising flame.

As always, she looked magnificent. Her golden dress concealed every inch of her form, leaving everything to the imagination, which only amused Kai further.

He had often wondered what it would be like to unravel what lay beneath, to strip away the silk and lace and uncover the woman hidden beneath the trappings of duty and expectation.

The morning sun caught in her blonde hair, turning it into liquid gold, and her eyes—plain tawny drakonian eyes, by the standards of her people—held within them something far greater than their simple colour suggested.

They burnt with an unspoken fire, a depth he doubted even she fully understood.

‘Is something troubling you, princess?’ Kai sat up, squinting against the sunlight.

Alina gasped, spinning around, eyes flashing in alarm before settling into annoyance. ‘What a fright you gave me!’ She exhaled, composing herself, before stepping towards him, the edge of her frustration still crackling in the air. ‘What are you doing?’

‘Enjoying the sun.’

Alina tilted her head. ‘I thought wyverians hated hot temperatures. Do you not spend your days moaning about how very hot this land is?’

Kai grinned lazily. ‘Do you pay so much attention over what makes me moan, princess?’

A violent flush crept up her neck, staining her cheeks. ‘Do not twist my words around to suit you! I don’t care what makes you moan.’ She crossed her arms, biting her lip in frustration, her anger now directed entirely at him. ‘I have bigger worries to deal with.’

‘Such as what, princess?’ Kai leaned back against the bench, stretching like a satisfied cat.

He could not imagine a single thing Alina Acheron had to concern herself with.

She was royalty—pampered, adored. She dined on the finest meals, wore the richest silks, and was free to do as she pleased.

Well, almost anything. He still had not quite figured out the absurd rules of the Kingdom of Fire and its many restrictions on women.

With a sigh, Alina moved towards the bench and sank down beside him.

‘I am to be married,’ she muttered, her voice unexpectedly soft, almost childlike. ‘I am to marry Zahian Noor.’

Kai let his head fall against the bench, groaning. ‘Which one is that?’

‘Does it even matter?’

‘Well… If I am forced to marry someone, I would prefer them to be somewhat to my liking.’ He smiled.

‘I do not care. I will be sent off to a foreign land and forced to deal with a man I hardly know. He will…’ She pulled a face. ‘He will put babies in my belly and then forget all about me.’

‘That does sound rather awful when you paint it in such a descriptive and imaginative way, princess.’

‘You are mocking me. Again.’

‘I would not dare. No after the last time.’ He could still recall the heat of her lips on his, the way she had kissed him like she was drowning and he was the only air left in the world.

But when he had stepped away, when he had put a stop to it, fury had burnt in her eyes—a fire hotter than any drakonian forge.

And now, here she was again, eyes searching, uncertain.

‘I don’t know what to do,’ she admitted, her small hands curling into fists.

Kai watched her, then spoke simply. ‘You could say no.’

‘Pardon?’ She blinked, as if the very thought had never once crossed her mind. ‘Say no? To the king and queen of House of Flames? They would burn me alive before allowing me to say no.’

‘Have you tried?’

Alina regarded him as if he had suddenly sprouted a second head, her expression a mixture of disbelief and exasperation. ‘Well, no… But one does not simply say no to them.’

Kai tilted his head, amusement shining in those dark eyes.

‘Sometimes, when we never say no, the other person begins to believe the word does not exist. Perhaps, princess, if you dared to utter it, your parents might actually come to understand that you are capable of refusal. They may even—gods forbid—respect you for it.’

A sharp snort escaped her lips, the notion so absurd she could hardly entertain it. ‘I do not know what your land is like,’ she said, arms crossing over her chest. ‘But here, in my kingdom, my parents do not take no for an answer.’

Kai leaned back, gazing up at the canopy of trees above them, their branches full of fruits he did not recognise.

This land was so different from his own.

And yet, he did not miss his kingdom. ‘Our trees have white barks and black leaves that only fall when someone enters the Forest of Silent Cries. Each leaf is a soul attached to our land and it will only fall when that soul returns home.’

Alina’s anger melted into something quieter, something akin to wonder. ‘What happens to the tree when all the leaves have fallen?’

Kai beamed. ‘I’ve never seen such a thing, princess.

When a new soul enters our world, a new leaf grows.

’ He let out a breath, staring at the sky.

‘Time is a river. No matter how much we wish to control it, to twist it backwards and forwards and to even stop it, we cannot. The river continues to flow. All you can do is let it guide you.’

‘So you think I should marry Zahian.’

Kai chuckled. ‘I think , princess, that others should not be thinking for you.’

He turned to look at her, searching her face, wondering if she would ever find the courage to stand against those who sought to control her. He knew how strong she was, how sharp, how capable. And yet… she hesitated.

It was not easy to defy a land built on the bones of old traditions. But perhaps—with a wyverian as their future queen—things might change.

Alina’s lips curled into something soft, something warm. A smile so brilliant it felt like sunlight against his skin. She leaned forward, her gaze dipping to his lips.

Kai’s breath hitched. He knew what she wanted. Every part of his body screamed at him to close the space between them, to pull her into him, to kiss her until she forgot everything but the taste of his mouth. Forget consequences, forget honour. Just take what you want.

But Alina was engaged to another. And no matter what her gaze pleaded for, he knew the truth.

She did not want him .

She wanted to feel like she had a choice. This was not about love, not about desire. This was about power. About control.

‘Do you not wish to kiss me?’ she asked, her voice breaking slightly.

‘Believe me when I say I do, princess.’

Alina’s eyes narrowed. ‘Then why don’t you?’

Kai stood abruptly, retreating before he could change his mind. He licked his lips, tasting nothing but regret.

‘Why not?’ Alina snapped.

‘Because we’d be kissing for different reasons.’