The grand royal palace of Elarion was filled with preparations for the upcoming royal wedding, but Prince Kim Taehyung wanted nothing to do with it.

Standing before the King and Queen, Taehyung's expression was cold, his jaw clenched with frustration.

“I said I will not marry her!” he shouted, his voice echoing through the throne room.

The King slammed his hand against the armrest of his throne. “You are the crown prince of this kingdom! Your marriage is not a matter of personal preference. Princess Isabella's kingdom will become our strongest ally, and you will fulfill your duty.”

“My duty?” Taehyung let out a bitter laugh. “You want me to spend the rest of my life with a woman I don't love, someone I barely know, just to satisfy your political ambitions?”

The Queen rose from her seat, attempting to calm her son. “Taehyung, darling, you must understand—”

“No, Mother. You must understand.” His voice softened, but his eyes remained furious. “You have decided every part of my life since I was a child. Who I speak to, where I go, how I rule. And now you want to decide whom I marry, too?”

“You will marry Princess Isabella in three weeks,” the King declared firmly. “This discussion is over.”

Taehyung stared at his father in disbelief before turning away.

“Then you might as well prepare for a wedding without a groom.”

“Taehyung!” the Queen called.

But he was already walking out.

That night, the prince began making plans to escape the palace before the wedding. He dismissed his personal guards, refused to attend the engagement banquet, and ordered his trusted servant to prepare a horse.

He would rather abandon his crown than surrender his freedom.

What Taehyung doesn't know is that beyond his kingdom, Princess Aurora lives a life entirely separate from his own. He has never met her, never heard her name, and has no idea that the destiny he's desperately trying to escape may lead him somewhere neither he nor his parents could ever have imagined. 🥀