Prince Maverick's POV
The weight of the immortal realm pressed heavily on my shoulders. Every sunrise brought new council meetings, new disputes between houses, and endless decisions that required my name, my judgment, my voice. But none of it could distract me—not truly.
I missed Violet like I was missing a part of myself. Like something inside me had been carved out and left hollow.
I wanted to leave.
To walk away from this glittering cage and find her, hold her, tell her I was sorry for letting her go.
But I couldn't.
Not with the crown looming over me. Not with the expectations stitched into every thread of my life.
That night, as the golden light of the chandeliers flickered across the long table in the dining hall, I waited until my father stood and left. He didn't say much anymore. He didn't have to. Disappointment had a silence of its own.
