Exposed!

Lucian walked down the dusty corridors of the palace he had grown up in. Though he longed to cherish everything his mother had once adorned, he couldn't. Not with the Emperor's orders forbidding any maids from stepping into this section of the palace.

However, his mind was elsewhere today. Caelan's words replayed in his head, overshadowing any concern for the dirty halls. The Banzai Kingdom, one of the largest and wealthiest in the Empire, was renowned for its riches and influence. Its princesses were said to be breathtakingly beautiful, all of them ripe for marriage.

He had been considering taking a wife from that kingdom to support his ascent to the throne but the Empress had beaten him to it. Now, he would have to find another powerful match.