The heavy velvet of my royal gowns always felt like a suffocating shroud. Tonight, replaced by the coarse, scratchy linen of a commoner's cloak, I finally felt like I could breathe. In three days, I was to be paraded before the Prince of Oakhaven—a man known for his cruelty and cold heart, chosen by my father to secure a border treaty. I needed just one week of freedom. One week to know what it felt like to be a normal girl in the sprawling lower city of Aethelgard before the cage locked forever.

I slipped through the forgotten servant's gate, the distant sounds of the twilight market pulling me in like a siren's song. The smells of roasted chestnuts and spiced wine filled the crisp night air. I was so utterly distracted by a troupe of fire-breathers that I didn't see the wall of solid muscle until I slammed right into it. My basket of stolen apples scattered across the damp cobblestones.

"Careful, little bird," a deep, gravelly voice rumbled.

I looked up into a pair of intense, striking amber eyes. He was tall, ruggedly handsome, with a faint white scar bisecting his left eyebrow. He wore the dark, scuffed leather of a city mercenary, but his stance was rigid and highly disciplined.

"I... forgive me," I stammered, scrambling for the scattered fruit.

He knelt beside me, his large, calloused hands effortlessly gathering the apples. When his fingers accidentally brushed mine, a jolt of pure electricity shot up my arm. He didn't look at me the way a subject looks at a princess. He looked at me like a man looking at a captivating woman.

"The lower wards are no place for a girl wandering alone after dark," he murmured, handing me the woven basket.

"I'm not alone," I lied, lifting my chin in defiance. "I'm perfectly capable of looking after myself."

A faint, knowing smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth, though his eyes remained sharply observant. "I'm sure you are. But just in case... I'm Kaelen. And it seems I've got nowhere else to be."

"I traded my crown for a moment of freedom..." Did you love Elara’s daring escape? Tell us what you would do if you were trapped in her shoes! 👇 Hit ❤️ if you’re already swooning over their chaotic meet-cute, and share this brand new royal romance with your favorite reading buddy! 👑