In a kingdom where loyalty is bought with blood, the king makes a shocking decree: the hand of his only daughter will be won through combat. Among the knights who step forward, only one moves with quiet certainty—the kingdom’s most feared and reviled warrior, Sir Alaric Thorne. Tall, silent, and impossibly intense, Alaric does not hesitate. He does not bow. He does not ask permission. And when his hazel eyes meet hers, it is clear—he has already chosen her.