The rain had been falling since dawn.

I stood beside the tall window of my chamber, watching the droplets race down the glass. Beyond the palace walls, the gardens were soaked, their flowers bending beneath the weight of the storm.

I had always liked the rain.

It was one of the few things that made the palace feel less suffocating.

A knock sounded.

"Come in."

The door opened, revealing one of my father's royal attendants.

"Princess Amara, His Majesty requests your presence in the throne room."

My heart tightened.

My father rarely summoned me.

And whenever he did, it was never because he missed me.

I followed the attendant through the long corridors until we reached the throne room.

The doors opened.

My father sat upon the throne, while my mother sat beside him. My older siblings stood nearby, dressed in beautiful clothes and laughing among themselves.

I stopped at the entrance.

Nobody smiled at me.

"Come closer," my father commanded.

I obeyed.

"You are seventeen now," he said.

I nodded. "Yes, Father."

"You are old enough to understand your responsibilities."

I glanced at my mother.

She wouldn't even look at me.

"What responsibilities?"

My father's expression remained cold.

"You are getting married."

For a moment, I thought I had heard him wrong.

"Married?"

"Yes."

My heart began beating faster.

"To whom?"

My father leaned back against his throne.

"Prince Cassian Ravelle."

The name immediately silenced the room.

My siblings stopped whispering.

Even my mother finally looked at me.

"Cassian Ravelle?" I whispered.

My older brother gave a quiet laugh.

"The seventh prince."

I knew exactly who he was.

Everyone did.

Prince Cassian Ravelle.

The Seventh Prince.

The Devil's Son.

Stories about him had travelled far beyond the borders of Ravaryn.

He had gone to war when he was only thirteen years old.

Not as a soldier.

As a commander.

Everyone had expected him to die.

Instead, he had returned victorious.

Since then, people had whispered that something about him was unnatural.

That he was merciless.

That darkness followed him.

That even his own brothers feared him.

I swallowed.

"Why me?"

My father's eyes narrowed.

"Because the marriage benefits our kingdom."

I stared at him.

Not once did he say he was happy for me.

Not once did my mother protest.

Not once did anyone ask whether I wanted this.

Then I understood.

They had chosen me because I was the daughter they could afford to lose.

"When is the wedding?" I asked quietly.

"In two weeks."

My chest tightened.

Two weeks.

I looked around the room at the family that had never truly felt like mine.

Then I looked back at my father.

"Do I have a choice?"

His answer came without hesitation.

"No."

I lowered my eyes.

"Then I will marry him."

I turned toward the doors.

Behind me, I heard my sister laugh softly.

"Poor Amara."

I stopped for a moment.

My hands curled into fists.

But I didn't turn around.

I continued walking.

I didn't cry.

Not yet.

But as the throne room doors closed behind me, one thought echoed through my mind.

I was being sent to marry the Devil's Son.

I barely slept that night.

Every time I closed my eyes, I heard my father's voice.

"You are getting married."

Two weeks.

That was all the time I had before I would leave everything I knew behind.

Not that there was much here worth missing.

Still, the thought of entering another kingdom frightened me.

Especially when my future husband was Prince Cassian Ravelle.

The Devil's Son.

I sat before my mirror the following morning as a maid brushed my hair.

"Do people really call him that?" I asked.

The maid's hands suddenly slowed.

"Call who, Princess?"

"Cassian."

She looked at me through the mirror.

Then she lowered her voice.

"Everyone does."

"Why?"

She hesitated.

"They say he isn't like other men."

I turned around.

"What does that mean?"

"I don't know, Princess."

She quickly returned to brushing my hair.

But I could see fear in her eyes.

Before I could ask anything else, the door opened.

My mother entered.

The maid immediately stepped aside.

My mother looked at me from head to toe.

"You leave for Ravaryn tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

"Yes."

I stared at her.

"Mother, the wedding isn't for two weeks."

"You'll need time to prepare."

I wanted to ask why she was sending me away so quickly.

Instead, I simply nodded.

She walked toward the door.

"Mother?"

She stopped.

"Do you know what Cassian is really like?"

For several seconds, she said nothing.

Then she looked back at me.

"Don't try to understand him."

My brows furrowed.

"What?"

"Just do what you're told, Amara."

And she left.

Her words followed me long after the door closed.

That afternoon, preparations began.

My belongings were packed into trunks, my dresses carefully folded, and my jewelry placed into small velvet boxes.

It felt strange watching everyone prepare for my departure.

Nobody looked sad.

Nobody cried.

Nobody asked me if I was afraid.

It was almost as though they were relieved.

That evening, I stood alone on the balcony.

The palace looked beautiful beneath the setting sun.

For the first time, I wondered whether I would ever see it again.

A carriage would arrive at sunrise.

And tomorrow, I would begin my journey to Ravaryn.

To a kingdom I'd never seen.

To a family that didn't know me.

And to a prince I had never met.

A prince everyone feared.

A prince they called the Devil's Son.

I wrapped my arms around myself.

"Who are you really, Cassian Ravelle?"

I had no idea that by tomorrow, I would finally meet him.

And that meeting him would change my life forever.

I tried to imagine what he would look like.

Would he have the cruel eyes everyone described? Would he speak harshly? Would he even want a wife he had never met?

I had heard countless stories about him, but stories were only stories.

Perhaps he was exactly as terrible as everyone claimed.

Or perhaps the kingdom had simply made him into a monster because they were afraid of what he had become.

Either way, I was about to find out.

Tomorrow, I would stand before the Devil's Son.

And I had no idea whether I would return from Ravaryn as a princess, a wife, or a prisoner.

I woke before sunrise.

For a few seconds, I forgot everything.

Then I saw the packed trunks beside my bed.

Today was the day I was leaving.

A maid entered quietly and helped me dress. I wore a simple blue gown, my hair pulled back neatly. I stared at myself in the mirror, trying to recognize the girl looking back at me.

I was still Princess Amara.

But somehow, everything felt different.

When I reached the palace entrance, my family was already waiting.

My father stood beside my mother.

My siblings stood behind them.

I searched their faces for sadness.

There was none.

My father stepped forward.

"Behave yourself in Ravaryn."

That was all he said.

No goodbye.

No hug.

Nothing.

I swallowed the lump in my throat.

"Yes, Father."

My mother looked at me for a moment before saying, "Remember who you are."

I almost laughed.

Did she even know who I was?

I nodded anyway.

Then I walked toward the carriage.

As I climbed inside, I looked back at the palace one last time.

I had spent my entire life wishing someone in that place would love me.

Perhaps leaving was the only way I would ever stop waiting.

The journey to Ravaryn took several hours.

I sat quietly while the carriage moved through the countryside.

At first, the scenery was familiar.

Then everything changed.

The roads became rougher, the forests thicker, and the mountains in the distance grew larger.

My maid, Liana, sat opposite me.

"Are you afraid?" she asked.

I looked out the window.

"Yes."

She smiled faintly.

"Everyone is afraid of Prince Cassian."

I turned toward her.

"Do you think the rumors are true?"

She lowered her voice.

"I don't know."

Before I could ask more, the carriage suddenly slowed.

I looked outside.

A group of soldiers was standing in the road.

Our guards exchanged a few words with them before allowing us to continue.

As we passed, I noticed the soldiers wearing the crest of Ravaryn.

A black raven surrounded by silver flames.

My heart began beating faster.

We were getting close.

By sunset, the enormous gates of Ravaryn finally appeared.

I had never seen a kingdom like it.

Dark stone walls surrounded the city, while tall towers rose into the evening sky.

The palace stood at the center, enormous and intimidating.

As we entered through the gates, people gathered along the streets.

They stared at our carriage.

Some whispered.

Others pointed.

I wondered if they were looking at me because I was the foreign princess.

Then I heard a woman's voice from the crowd.

"That's his bride."

Another voice answered.

"Poor girl."

My stomach tightened.

Then someone whispered something that made the blood in my veins run cold.

"She doesn't know what she's marrying."

The carriage continued toward the palace.

I looked ahead.

For the first time, I realized there was no turning back.

Tomorrow, I would meet my future husband.

Prince Cassian Ravelle.

The Devil's Son.