The two princes stared at each other, one gold and one silver, one her twin and one her soul-bonded.

Lorcan.

“Ten years ago, my parents were murdered. My father was executed on a butchering block in front of thousands. But my mother … My mother died defending Aelin Galathynius, the heir to the throne of Terrasen. She bought Aelin time to run. They followed Aelin’s tracks to the frozen river, where they said she must have fallen in and drowned.

You let them do this.

He didn’t want to waste the calm moments.

“Don’t tell me what I do and don’t deserve.

You let them do this.

You deserve to be happy,

But he couldn’t bring himself to mention selling her hand in marriage to a wealthy foreign kingdom—not yet.