Author's Preface
The world tilted beneath me, spinning faster. My pulse thundered, my breath caught, and all I could see was his grin — wicked , unrelenting, delighted in my shock.
“Should I take that as a yes?” Darian Treotor tugged me flush against him, ignoring the scandalized gasps around us. “Want me to start drafting the wedding invitations?”
I had expected everything. I expected guards dragging me out, I expected spending the rest of my life in a dismal, lonely dungeon cell, hell, I even expected to die, everything but this.
“Y-You‘re a lunatic!” I pushed against him, stumbling a step back, but he closed the distance easily, smirk widening like he enjoyed the chase.
“And you’re a thief. A terrible liar. And—my personal favorite— a terribly cute blusher . Balance, darling. That’s what makes a good marriage.”
“I’m not marrying you.”
“It’s cute of you to think you have a choice, little liar.” He leaned in as his breath ghosted my ear, voice silk and steel. “Let me make one thing very clear. Crown Prince or not, I always get what I want. ”
An arm locked around my waist, pulling me tight against his chest. His hand tilted my chin up, thumb brushing my lip as if I were a prize he owned.
“So fight it all you like. In the end… You will be my bride.”
Then, I did the only thing my panicked brain offered: I bit him . Hard. Then bolted.
For a heartbeat, just as he let go, he stood rooted at his place. If my bite did any damage, it wasn’t evident on his face. He just stood there, stunned. “Did you just—?” His eyes flicked up, catching me weaving through startled nobles. A laugh burst from him, sharp and incredulous. “Bloody hell. That’s a first.”
Then his smirk returned, dangerous and amused. “Guards! Seize that woman! And try not to get bitten.”
Moments later, I dangled mid‑air in the grip of two guards, feet kicking uselessly. The ballroom watched in horrified fascination. Darian loomed over me, smug as ever, and flicked my forehead.
“Honestly,” he sighed, “for someone who planned a jewel heist at my coronation, you’re terrible at running away.”
He grinned. “So. Shall we revisit my offer? Or do I carry you off in front of all these witnesses?”
“Give me one reason why I’d marry you.”
He blinked, then laughed so loud it echoed off the vaulted ceilings. “Oh, I adore you.” His voice dropped to a whisper at my ear. “Because no one else would dare bite a Crown Prince and live to tell the tale. And because, my darling thief… you’d look divine in a crown. Also? You’re stuck. My guards are still holding you. So, yes or yes? ”
…And so there I was, betrothed to the His Cockiness himself.
He gestured for the guards to set me down, still grinning like he’d won the greatest game of his life. Tilting my chin once more, he murmured against my ear, “By the way, little liar, you bite like a kitten. Do it again, and I’ll bite back.”
Gasps rippled through the crowd. Nobles looked ready to faint, courtiers pale as death. Darian, unfazed, kissed my knuckles like the perfect gentleman.