Ally's POV

　　I swallow the knot forming in my throat, the clasp a token of defiance I'd left in secret, a silent scream against Nathan's iron grip. But James doesn't see it that way.

　　"Captain of the palace guard," he declares, puffing out his chest slightly. "That's what I become today, Ally." His words carry the weight of expectation, the burden of our lineage. "And yet here we are, dealing with your... indiscretions."

　　"James, you don't understand- " ...