d although the strange warmth had stopped spreading through my body, I could still feel something movi

the room was st

ed almost pleased by what they were witnessing, but the expression

sed the beginning of a disaster he had

?" I demanded, pulling my

ards the council

oyal powers have

everyone looking at me as though

ss gave a

because

ately turned

this ch

raised a

ss the entire royal council simply because

id le

moved towards the council members, but Malachi remained wh

not change the prophecy. The mark has appe

y turned

cess. You may soon discover that being roya

ed out, followed by the r

closed, I turne

an expla

as though the entire ev

ight, Se

hed bi

g, you tell me that my mother was murdered, and now some strange man announces that I must marry you to

udied me

nd, but instead he approached slowly and lowered hi

upposed to

as quieter

nd to make

ng about the way he avoided certain

me what the

down at

g the complete royal bloodline, and it is connected to an ancient pow

ou rem

N

top it fro

ermane

sed m

ped with a magical mark

almost

e not t

I feel like

not a

enter without his permission. I followed the guard through the corridor, but my thoughts remai

ursed

yal ma

ngdom

om when Lady Margaret approac

at somethin

t feel

the tray on

exactly the same thing

ked a

r know about

aret beca

es

I would have t

widened

old yo

se could only be broken t

oman slowly s

e day the council would use tha

hy

er meant to be understood as

row

ind of

ards the closed bedroom d

, without threats, pressure, or manipulation. The council has always wanted to interpret the pro

red a

me because they think they

act

made me un

weapon in a political battle, and I certainly had no intention

ow what my mot

rgaret

she made him prom

towards t

tecting me because he cared about my family or because he

thing else, a soft kno

argare

is

ce Ad

ression

d hair and pale blue eyes. Unlike Damon, he did not seem frightening, although h

"I heard our lost princ

ined s

are

e hand again

rn. The king's y

argaret, who appea

he room without waiti

amon can be rather difficult, especially w

wn him long en

lau

answer. I

settled on the red m

, his smile

t is

vely covere

t's

ng me with an interest th

. I never thought I

ing that. Why is th

towards Lad

body to

woman steppe

difficult evening. Perhaps a

aised bo

didn't mean to

ed towa

may be the king, but he is not the only person

wed slight

d the do

settled me, although I

rian reall

rgaret

as always wanted a place in the council,

own at my

veryone in this castl

they ar

er frigh

on the balcony, staring at the dark

es, I remembered my grandmother's frightened expression, the creatures in the fores

e moved thro

rd a voice

ould be

Damon standing near

e in the habit of checki

blesome pr

ything, I al

ailing, leaving eno

u frigh

ying, but ther

e powers inside me, and the fact that nobod

d towards t

ery reason t

n't comf

particularly good a

econds, neith

urned to

ise my mother that y

ession s

es

hy

t time I noticed something almost

as going to die, she asked me to save th

allo

you a

ven my life to k

incere that I did n

coat and removed a smal

er left th

t began

ou give it to

o be certain that n

y accepted

in handwriting I recognised from the

aph

trembled as

only a few

st the council, and do not allow anyone to convince you that your destiny belongs to them. The

final sen

ooked up

she talki

oud scream echoed from some

ly turned towar

t the balcony entr

ty, we have

happ

hives have bee

xpression

was st

looked t

l prophecy,

ghtened aroun

ly turned

I need you t

nd, the red mark on my w

r entere

ser than

ancient door that had remained seal