Azzurra sat quietly in the vast library, her gaze flickering over the words on the page while Cesario played nearby on the thickly carpeted floor, his toys scattered around him in a cheerful mess. The massive doors groaned open, and Silvano strode in.

She rose immediately to greet him as he approached. It had been a full week since her so-called wedding, and she had done everything in her power to avoid Marcello since. Thankfully, his royal obligations had kept him occupied, sparing her from ...