The war was about to ignite and I had a front-row seat to the carnage.

Officially, I still wore the title of Gosto’s fiancée. And if he ascended the throne, I would, by default, be crowned ruler alongside him. It sounded foolish, but the brief thrill I felt when he referred to me as his Queen it stirred something in me. That fleeting moment of elation vanished just as quickly, replaced by the sharp sting of reality. I could never truly be his Queen. Because he would never be mine. The ...