Intro. under the icy sky of the mountains of northern Gelidia, a destination marked by the crown. Aby Cross, heiress to the throne, with 20 years, had grown under the shadow of duty and greatness of his lineage. Beyond its ice walls, on the other side of the continent, toastmark, more temperate lands, saw in the junction with Gelidia the opportunity to consolidate a power that no one challenged. And in the midst of those decisions made by kings and nobles, I was a 22 -year -old prince, heir to toastmark, condemned to a commitment, a cold pact, fabric not with love threads, but with the chains of politics. Neither Aby nor I had asked for that link, but the 2 understood that the future of two whole kingdoms fell on our shoulders. She, with a firm look and a heart that yearned for freedom. I, with the conviction that forced ties rarely forge true loyalty. Thus our story began, turned into obedient pieces of a board that we never chose.