I watched her through the bars of her cell, my fingers drumming against the cold stone. She was sitting on that pile of filthy straw, arms wrapped around her knees, staring straight ahead like she was trying to block out everything around her. Not that I could blame her. The dungeons were far from pleasant. Yet, I couldn't help but be fascinated by her.
Aeliana Solara. The flame princess of the Summer Court.
She didn't belong here, not in a place like this, not in the Winter Court. The mere sight of her was a contradiction to everything this place stood for. Her fiery defiance, the way her eyes still burned with fury even when her tears fell. The way she didn't bow, even now.
She intrigued me, which was a problem.
I shouldn't care.
She was my prisoner, and she had been caught trespassing on my lands. Whether she was here by accident or not didn't matter—she was a tool, a pawn in this long, drawn-out war.
