They called it a legend. A story meant to frighten weak-hearted rulers and dissuade those unfit for power.

But I knew better.

The throne was cursed. And soon, Ted would sit upon it.

Unless I stopped him.

I had tried everything—reasoning, pleading, even anger—but he would not listen. He believed in duty, in legacy, in doing what was expected of him. And what was expected was for him to take a wife and become king.

He had asked me first.

"Be my queen," he had said, eyes full of something I had once dared to dream about. "With you by my side, I know I can do this."

I had turned him down. Not because I didn’t love him, but because I did. Because I would rather break my own heart than watch him die on that throne.

So he had moved on.

He searched for a wife while I searched for a way to break the curse. And as I spent my nights poring over ancient texts and forgotten whispers of history, my family summoned me back to our wing of the castle.

That’s where I found Nathan.

The king’s sworn enemy. A man who had never courted anyone, who seemed incapable of love, of softness. And yet, there he was, waiting for me.

With a proposal.

I had laughed at first, thinking it a cruel joke. But his eyes held no humor.

"Marry me," Nathan said. "Be my wife."

It didn’t make sense. He had never looked twice at any woman before. So why me?

The answer was obvious.

He knew. He knew how I felt about Ted. And this—this wasn’t about me. It was about him.

Nathan didn’t want a wife. He wanted to take something from Ted. The woman he loved.

For the first time, I hesitated.

If I married Nathan, if I helped him take the throne... Ted would never be king.

And if he was never king, he would never die.

I lifted my chin and met Nathan’s gaze, searching for any trace of deception. He was dangerous, calculating. A man who never played fair.

But if his ambition meant Ted’s survival...

Then maybe, just maybe, I could play this game, too.

I swallowed hard, my heart hammering in my chest as I studied Nathan. His face betrayed nothing—no amusement, no cruelty, no affection. Just cold determination.

"You don’t love me," I said carefully, testing him.

His lips curled slightly, as if the idea amused him. "No, I don’t."

"Then why ask for my hand?"

Nathan leaned in, his voice low, like he didn’t want anyone else to hear. "You already know why. It will hurt him, won’t it?"

I clenched my hands at my sides. He was right. It would hurt Ted. More than anything.

And yet, a part of me whispered that maybe that wasn’t a bad thing. If he was heartbroken, if he was distracted, if he lost focus on his duty—then maybe, just maybe, he would abandon his path to the throne. Maybe I wouldn’t have to watch him die.

Maybe this was my chance.

I lifted my chin. "And what do you get out of this, besides hurting him?"

Nathan’s eyes darkened, something unreadable flickering behind them. "I will take what is rightfully mine. And you... will be a queen."

The word sent a chill down my spine. I didn’t want to be a queen. I didn’t want power or titles or wealth. I wanted Ted to live.

But this might be the only way.

I hesitated, my fingers twisting together. Marrying Nathan meant betraying Ted in the cruelest way possible. It meant stepping into the enemy’s world, standing at the side of a man who would stop at nothing to steal the throne.

It meant giving up the dream I had once had—that Ted and I could be together.

I took a breath and met Nathan’s gaze, steady and unyielding. "Fine. I’ll marry you."

A flicker of something passed through his expression—approval? Satisfaction? I couldn’t tell. But he extended his hand, and after a brief hesitation, I took it.

The deal was sealed.

And from that moment on, everything would change.