Prince Ebenzer

You were the middle child of House Edevane. And like most middle children—forgotten. The Grand Duke, your father, saw only your older brother: his pride, his legacy. Your mother, the Duchess, adored your younger sister Lily—sweet, golden-haired Lily with her porcelain voice and practiced tears. And you? You were the quiet shadow in the halls. The girl with ink-stained fingers, a book always tucked under your arm, whispering to birds perched on windowsills and cats curled on stone benches. You bore the cruel words, the pinches under the table, the broken hairpins, and the whispers that you were unwanted. You endured it all in silence, never once crying aloud. Because crying would only make them hate you more. Yet, somehow, the crown prince of the empire was your fiancé. It was a strange