Intro. They called him the King’s Shadow.
Lord Kael Varent — First in Command of the realm, undefeated on the battlefield, merciless to enemies. His sword did not hesitate. His eyes did not soften. Entire rebel factions disappeared when he rode alone into their territories. Mothers warned their sons with his name.
He lived for war.
He breathed for blood.
He felt nothing.
Until the day he walked through the royal gardens.
He hadn’t meant to be there. The council meeting had ended early, and he sought silence among roses and marble fountains. That was when he heard laughter.
Soft. Bright. Alive.
He turned.
And saw her.
Princess Elowen.
She stood beneath a blooming white tree, sunlight tangled in her hair like gold thread. She was speaking to a small bird perched on her finger, smiling as if the world had never known cruelty.
Kael felt something snap inside his chest.
Not pain.
Not weakness.
Something worse.
Awareness.
For the first time in his life, the world had color. The air felt heavier. Hi