?Lily stood silently in front of the towering mirror in her room, trying—and failing—to curl her lips into that effortless smile she'd worn so many times before. Now, it felt alien. Forced. Hollow.
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?Tomorrow, she'd be crowned. Soon after, she’d be married.
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?Her father had introduced her to Prince Mark. She remembered the way his light blue hair shimmered like a lake under the sun, his sharp jawline, and his warm brown eyes. He was handsome. Gentle, even. But he didn’t make her heart skip a beat. He didn’t cause her chest to tighten with anticipation. He didn’t make the world fall away around her.
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?He wasn’t Knox. And he never would be.
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?The makeup brush in her hand snapped, brittle in her trembling fingers. The sudden crack echoed through the room like a gunshot. She stared down at the shattered handle, a sharp edge cutting a line across her palm, unnoticed.
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?Anger boiled beneath her skin. Anger at herself—for being too afraid to stand against her father. Anger at her mother—for standing silent in a palace that demanded obedience over love. Anger at Axel—burning, breathless fury at him for making her love Knox in secret. For making loving him feel like betrayal.
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?God, how she missed him. Knox. His smirk. His steady eyes. His warmth. The way his voice made everything else quieter.
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?"I'm on your side," they had all told her—Axel, Micheal, even her mother at one point. But where were they now?
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?Now… she was alone.
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?A tear slid down her cheek and landed softly on the table. She quickly wiped it away, careful not to smear the pristine makeup on her face. Her reflection stared back at her—long black hair cascading down her back, lips trembling, her nose red, eyes rimmed with unshed tears. A perfect image of royalty cracking at the edges.
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?She swallowed the sob rising in her throat. She couldn't fall apart. Not now. Not when so many were watching.
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?A soft knock at the door broke the silence.
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?“P-Princess…” Maria’s voice was gentle, apologetic. Lily turned her head slowly. The older woman stood in the doorway, hands folded, her brows drawn together in quiet concern. “The prince will see you now…”
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?The words twisted like a knife in Lily’s gut. But she managed a shaky smile and nodded, breathing in deep to steady her voice. “I… I’ll be there in a moment.”
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?Maria gave a slight bow, hesitating just a second longer than usual before backing out and closing the door behind her, leaving Lily alone once more—alone in the silence, in the pressure, in the cage she could no longer pretend wasn’t real.
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?She let out the breath she'd been holding, staring at herself a second longer.
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?And for just a moment, she imagined the mirror cracking.
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?Outside the quiet sanctuary of her room lay a grand dining hall brimming with nobility. Laughter and soft music filled the air, a carefully curated orchestra of appearances. At the head table sat her parents—her mother graceful and silent, her father regal and unreadable. Axel’s seat remained empty. That hurt more than she expected.
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?Across from them sat the Holsts—royalty of the Northern States. Their polished smiles and smooth conversation oozed diplomacy. It was the kind of talk meant to be heard, not believed.
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?The moment Lily stepped into the light, all eyes turned toward her. A wave of applause rippled through the room, respectful nods and murmured praise following her every step. But she kept her gaze forward, focused—until she caught sight of the blue hair moving toward her.
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?Mark.
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?He wasn’t what the picture promised. Older, colder. His eyes gleamed with smugness, not kindness. Her skin crawled when he took her hand and laid a kiss on her knuckles, the act practiced, the charm mechanical. She forced herself to smile.
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?"Ah… Princess. You're even more beautiful in person," he said, voice smooth like wine turned sour.
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?"Y-yes… You're quite handsome yourself." The words tasted like ash. She prayed they were enough to feed his ego.
Stolen novel; please report.
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?He smirked, clearly pleased, and led her to the head of the table, pulling out her chair like a gentleman. She sat without a word, heart heavy.
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?Her father was already deep in conversation with the King of the North. His voice rang out loud and clear.
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?"Ah yes... My Lily was thrilled about the arrangement. Such a heavy burden on young shoulders—but with a strong man like Mark at her side, she'll rule well."
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?The Northern King chuckled, eyes sharp and mean. "Indeed. Mark will be sure to correct her shortcomings. He's a bright one. Though, of course, he's had no shortage of suitors. Kind as he is, I suppose he took pity on a struggling kingdom’s daughter."
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?Lily’s stomach churned. They spoke as if she wasn’t even there. Just a prize to be passed between men.
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?At the far end of the table, her mother engaged Mark’s mother in hollow pleasantries.
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?"Yes... We're honored to welcome young Mark into our family."
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?"As you should be," the woman replied, smiling thinly. "Though I wouldn’t be surprised if he seeks better company. A man of his stature always has options."
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?For a moment, Lily saw a flicker of anger in her mother's eyes—there and gone like a passing breeze.
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?"Don’t worry," Naomi said with practiced grace. "Lily is a good girl. She won’t be any trouble."
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?"Is she your only child? I thought you had a son?"
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?The table tensed. Subtle, but Lily noticed it. Her mother’s lips parted and closed again, unsure. Her father stepped in smoothly.
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?"You must be mistaken. Axel was never our son. My wife is generous—she took in an orphan. Gave him shelter, food. It’s a shame he betrayed us."
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?Her heart thudded painfully in her chest. How could he say that? How could he erase Axel like that?
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?"He was to be crowned once, wasn’t he?"
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?"A baseless rumor. Nothing more."
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?Lily wanted to scream. To shout the truth. But Mark’s voice broke into her spiraling thoughts.
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?"Something on your mind, dear?"
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?She bit down the retort burning on her tongue. She had longed to hear that word—“dear”—from Knox, not him.
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?"N-no, your highness..."
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?"You can call me Mark. Mark Holst."
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?She blinked at the strange order of his name.
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?He chuckled. "Ah, surprised? We Northerners carry our father’s name before ours. Tradition. I suppose your people don’t?"
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?"Not… typically, no. That’s... quite a strange custom."
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?"It goes back to the war that ended the old world. Thought everyone knew that."
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?"I’m aware," she said, trying to keep her voice even. "I just didn’t believe people still followed it."
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?"Well, it’s tradition. Carrying one name is silly. What if someone else is called Lily?"
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?"I imagine there aren’t many with my name."
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?He smirked. "If you say so. Your palace is quite small, isn’t it? Mine’s at least three times this size. Do you even have your own castle, or do you still live with your parents?"
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?The fork in her hand trembled as she clenched it tighter. "This is the only castle here."
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?He laughed. Loud. Boisterous. Uncaring. But her father’s voice pulled her attention away once more.
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?“Lily, why don’t you tell Mr. and Mrs. Holst how eager you were to marry Mark?”
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?Her heart stopped. His tone was light, but she knew that edge—cold, unforgiving. She looked around. All eyes on her. Expecting, watching, waiting for her to lie.
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?But she was done lying.
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?Her breaths turned shallow. Her chest tightened. The words burst from her lips before she could stop them.
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?"I… I need more time."
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?Silence fell like a guillotine. Conversations died. Mark blinked, caught off guard. His parents narrowed their eyes. Her mother looked down at her hands, refusing to meet anyone’s gaze. Her father—
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?She didn’t dare look.
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?For once, Lily had spoken for herself.
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?And somehow, she knew she'd pay the price.
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