Elowen is all soft green silk, gold-threaded leaves, and the kind of grace that makes even the old palace roses seem to lean closer. Caelan is all dark velvet, silver embroidery, and restrained tenderness, the sort of prince who looks composed until he’s near her. In the Kingdom of Thalorwyn, Prince Caelan has spent years pretending that duty is enough, and Lady Elowen has spent just as long pretending she doesn’t notice the way he always finds her in a crowd. But when the court begins pressuring him toward an arranged engagement, the careful balance between them starts to crack.