Nalin's POV
I couldn't move.
My feet stayed frozen on the garden path while Davren kissed my sister like she was air and he was drowning. The cold thing in my chest twisted tighter, but I forced it down. Down, down, down where it always stayed.
I stepped backward, quiet as a shadow. One step. Two steps. Three.
A twig snapped under my foot.
Davren's head jerked up. His eyes found mine through the darkness.
For three heartbeats, we stared at each other. His face went white. Elara gasped and spun around, her golden magic flaring bright enough to light up the whole garden.
"Nalin!" Elara's voice was sharp with fake surprise. "What are you doing out here?"
Run. Hide. Pretend you didn't see anything. The thoughts screamed in my head, but my voice came out flat and calm like always.
"I needed air," I said. "The party was too loud."
Davren moved away from Elara, running his hand through his messy hair. "We were just... Elara was upset about something. I was comforting her."
Liar.
But I nodded. "I understand."
Elara's eyes narrowed, studying my blank face. Looking for cracks. Looking for proof that I knew.
I gave her nothing. Twenty-three years of practice made me an expert at hiding.
"Well, don't tell anyone you saw us alone together," Elara said sweetly. "People might get the wrong idea. You know how the court loves to gossip."
"I won't tell anyone," I said.
Another lie to match theirs.
"Good girl," Elara patted my cheek like I was a pet. Her touch made my skin crawl, but I didn't flinch. "Now run along. I'm sure you're tired."
I walked away slowly, feeling their eyes on my back. I didn't look back. I didn't run. I just walked like nothing had happened.
Because nothing had happened. Not yet.
The next morning, Davren knocked on my door before breakfast.
"Nalin?" His voice was gentle through the wood. "May I come in?"
I opened the door. He stood there with flowers—white roses, my favorites. How did he know they were my favorites? I'd never told him. Had I?
"I wanted to apologize for last night," he said, stepping inside. "I shouldn't have left you alone at the party. That was rude of me."
He didn't mention the garden. The kiss. My sister.
"It's fine," I said.
"No, it's not." He took my hands in his, careful of yesterday's cuts. "You're going to be my wife in one week. I should treat you better."
His eyes looked so sincere. So kind. If I hadn't seen him last night, I would have believed him.
"The wedding preparations are almost done," he continued. "Your dress arrived this morning. Have you seen it?"
"Not yet."
"You'll look beautiful." He smiled. "You always do."
I watched his face, searching for the truth. Was any of this real? Had he ever cared about me, even a little?
"Davren," I said carefully. "Do you love me?"
He froze. Just for a second. But I caught it.
"Of course I do," he said. "Why would you ask that?"
"I just wondered." I pulled my hands away. "You never say it."
"I'm not good with words." He laughed, but it sounded nervous. "You know that. I show my feelings through actions."
Like kissing my sister in the garden?
"Of course," I said. "I understand."
Relief flooded his face. "Good. I have to go—meetings with my father about the alliance. But I'll see you at dinner tonight?"
"Yes."
He kissed my forehead again, that same quick, cold kiss from last night. Then he left, and I was alone.
I sat on my bed, staring at the white roses. They were beautiful. Perfect.
Fake, just like everything else.
"Your Highness, you need to eat something."
Seren, my maid, set down a breakfast tray. She was the only servant who actually cared if I lived or died. We'd been friends since we were children, back when her mother worked in the palace kitchens.
"I'm not hungry," I said.
"You're never hungry lately." She sat beside me, breaking every rule about servants and royalty. "What's wrong? And don't say 'nothing' because I know that look."
"What look?"
"The look you get when you're thinking too hard." She poked my shoulder. "Talk to me."
Could I tell her? Should I?
"If someone you trusted turned out to be lying to you," I said slowly, "what would you do?"
Seren's face went serious. "Who's lying to you?"
"I didn't say anyone was. It's just a question."
"Nalin." She grabbed my hands. "What happened?"
I wanted to tell her. Wanted to scream it out loud. But the words stuck in my throat.
"Nothing," I finally said. "I'm just nervous about the wedding."
She didn't believe me. I could see it in her eyes. But she didn't push.
"Well, if someone is lying to you," she said carefully, "you should be careful. People who lie once will lie again. And in this palace, lies can get you killed."
Her words hung in the air between us.
"Seren," I said. "Do you think my family would hurt me? If they had a reason?"
She went very still. "Why would you ask that?"
"Just answer."
She looked at the door, making sure it was closed. Then she leaned in close and whispered, "Your Highness, there are rumors. About the sacrifices to the Ice Warden. About how the emperor chooses who gets sent."
My heart—that thing that never beat fast—started pounding.
"What kind of rumors?"
"That he only sends people he wants to disappear. People who are problems. People who—" She stopped, her eyes going wide. "No. No, they wouldn't. You're his daughter."
"I'm his embarrassment," I said quietly. "I've always been his embarrassment."
Seren's face went pale. "Nalin, if you think you're in danger, we need to run. Right now. We can leave the palace, go somewhere they'll never find you—"
"And where would we go?" I asked. "I have no magic. No money. No friends except you. We'd be caught in a day."
"Then what do we do?"
That was the question, wasn't it?
I looked at the white roses Davren had brought. Beautiful and fake and probably meant to keep me calm until my wedding day.
Until my sacrifice day.
"We pretend," I said. "We smile and nod and act like everything is perfect. And we watch. We listen. We wait for them to make a mistake."
"And then?"
"Then we survive."
Seren nodded slowly. "Alright. But Nalin? Promise me something."
"What?"
"Promise that when the time comes to run, you won't hesitate. Promise you won't try to be brave or noble. You'll just run."
I promised. Another lie to add to my collection.
That night, I lay in bed staring at the ceiling. Three more days until the wedding. Three more days of pretending.
The cold thing in my chest stirred again. Stronger this time. Like something trying to break free.
I pressed my hand against my heart, feeling it pulse beneath my skin.
What was happening to me?
A knock on my door made me jump. It was past midnight. Who would—
"Princess Nalin?" A voice I didn't recognize. "The Emperor requests your presence. Immediately."
My father never requested my presence. Ever.
I opened the door. Two guards stood there, their faces grim.
"Now, Your Highness," one said. "It's urgent."
They didn't give me time to change. They just marched me through the dark hallways in my nightgown, their hands tight on my arms.
Something was wrong. Very wrong.
We stopped outside my father's study. The guards pushed the doors open.
Inside, my father sat behind his desk. My mother stood by the window. Elara leaned against the wall, smiling.
And in the center of the room, on his knees with chains around his wrists, was Commander Thorne.
"Nalin," my father said coldly. "Commander Thorne has just informed us of something very interesting. It seems there's been a change of plans regarding your wedding."
My blood turned to ice.
"You're not getting married next week after all," Father continued. "You're leaving tomorrow. For the Glacial Sanctum."
The sacrifice. They were sending me to die.
Tomorrow.