A sharp knock hit the heavy oak door. The prince kept his eyes shut. Maybe if he stayed quiet, the knocking would stop.

  "Your Highness," a woman called from the hallway. "My father is back. He wants you in the Great Hall right now."

  A muffled groan escaped his lips into the pillow. "I just got here," he mumbled. His back and legs ached from three days of riding on a horse. Pushing up from the mattress, he straightened his dark coat and dragged a hand through his messy hair.

  The door swung open to reveal Elara Bealor. Her long, pointed ears twitched slightly, but her face showed zero emotion.

  Before she could say another word, the prince pushed past her. "Lead the way."

  Footsteps echoed down the long, quiet hallways. Inside the Great Hall, a man sat at the far end on a tall chair. Lord Bealor tapped his fingers against the armrest. The slow, sharp sound filled the large room. It sounded exactly like the king back at the palace.

  The tapping stopped. Bealor stared. "You were just a crying baby the last time I saw you, Prince Silver."

  Standing straight with his chin up, the prince kept his hands at his sides. He gave no bow. "I hear I cried a lot."

  "You still cause trouble," Bealor said, leaning forward. "A message just arrived from the Capital. The tears at the border are growing. Take your men and go look into it. Leave tomorrow morning."

  A menu screen flashed in the prince's vision for a split second. He blinked it away. "Fine. We leave at dawn."

  "Go get your men ready," Bealor said, leaning back.

  Without a second glance, the prince turned and walked out. His boots hit hard against the stone floor. General Kael, waiting by the entrance, fell into step behind him.

  The heavy doors clicked shut. Lord Bealor shifted his gaze to his daughter. "What do you think of him?"

  Elara stared at the closed doors. "He acts like a kid. Today in the street, he took a toy from a little boy. The rumors are right. He is a brat."

  Fingers drummed against the wooden chair again. "Maybe," Bealor said. "But he is the prince."

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  Stepping down from his seat, he walked toward her. "The King and I talked. We need to tie our families together. Keep the blood pure."

  "I picked you," he said. "You will marry Prince Dae."

  She looked from her father to the empty doorway.

  "Our family works for the crown," Bealor continued. "Now we will join them. Marrying him keeps our name strong. It is your job."

  Clasping her shaking hands together, she forced the words out. "But... what about his sister? Everyone says Valeraine will be his wife."

  "The King changed his mind," Bealor said. "You will marry him. Do not argue." He turned to face the tall windows. "Go pack. You ride with him at sunrise."

  Leaving the hall, Elara did not walk to the stairs. She pictured her bedroom in her mind. The air around her twisted. In a blink, she stood next to her bed.

  Fully dressed in her heavy cloak and boots, she fell face-first onto the mattress. She stared at the dark ceiling. The prince's bored face flashed in her mind.

  "This is a joke," she whispered to the empty room.

  Just hours ago, she watched him stop his horse to take a wooden ball from a crying kid. She thought he was an idiot. She thought a dumb prince would be easy for her family to trick.

  Now she had to marry him.

  Pulling her knees to her chest, she squeezed her eyes shut. Her teeth bit down on her bottom lip. She bit down hard. Pain shot through her mouth. A warm, metallic taste hit her tongue. A red drop fell onto the white pillowcase.

  She stayed there in the dark. Waiting for morning.

  ...

  Morning sunlight lit the stone hallway. Elara stopped at the prince's door and knocked twice.

  An iron latch clicked inside. The door swung open. The prince stood in the doorway.

  He looked down at her face and stopped moving.

  "Good morning," he said.

  His eyes locked onto her face. Her skin was sickly pale. Dark, heavy bags hung under her eyes. She looked like she hadn't slept for a single second.

  Dae leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms. A slow smirk spread across his face.

  "Wow. You look awful," he said, making his voice sound loud and arrogant. "Did my rejection yesterday hurt that much? Did you stay awake crying all night just because I wouldn't go on a date with you?"

  He waited for her to get mad. Yesterday, out in the street, she had almost lost her temper when he called their meeting a date. He fully expected her to glare at him, cross her arms, or return with a sharp insult.

  Instead, Elara just blinked.

  Her face did not change at all. Her eyes looked completely empty, staring right past him.

  "The teleportation gate is ready, Your Highness," she said. Her voice was flat and quiet, sounding completely dead. "General Kael and your men are waiting in the courtyard. We leave now."

  She didn't wait for him to say anything else. She turned around and started walking down the hallway. Her boots made dull, steady clicking sounds against the stone.

  Dae stood in the doorway. His smirk completely vanished.

  He dropped his arms to his sides and stared at her back as she walked away.

  What the hell? he thought.

  Yesterday, she was so sharp. She was easy to provoke and easy to rage-bait. Today, he threw a direct insult right at her face, and she didn't even care?

  He stepped out of his room, frowning as he watched her turn the corner. A weird, uneasy feeling settled into him.

  What is wrong with her?