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Prologue

Everyone said that he was lucky

To be betrothed to the heir to a throne, to the most politically influential man on the planet…Everyone said Seyn was lucky

Seyn didn’t feel lucky He hated that

When Seyn was a child, he loved bedtis and queens, brave princes and princesses, and their exciting adventures There would be nothing special about it—he couldn’t be the only child who liked such stories—but Seyn was a little special, after all Seyn was a prince himself, and there was a story about him, too It was his favorite

“Very well,a strand of silver hair behind her four-year-old son’s ear “But this is the last time And then you will sleep”

Seyn nodded, bea at her expectantly

“Once upon a time,” the Queen started in her soft voice “There was a beautiful little prince He was born two months early—”

“To save another prince’s life!” Seyn interrupted excitedly “I did it!”

“Yes, darling,” the Queen said with a s down to kiss his forehead “You saved another prince’s life And not just any prince’s—it was the life of a very special prince—the Crown Prince of the Second Grand Clan”

Seyn nodded He was old enough to know that there were twelve royal families on Calluvia, and some princes were more important than the others

“His name was Prince Ksar, and he was very ill,” his mother said

Seyn frowned, for the first tih about the mysterious illness to ask “Ill?”

“You’re probably too young to understand,” his htly pinched expression on her face “Prince Ksar’s bondmate had died from a very rare telepathic disease, and it erously unstable He needed another bond But there were no other unbonded boys or girls of royal blood, so Ksar’s parents asked us to bring you to this world early so that you could be bonded to Prince Ksar”