They say the crown is heavy.
But no one ever told me it could be invisible too.
Once, I was born with a name that could move empires. A name whispered in gold corridors, stitched into royal banners, destined to kneel before thrones I never wanted to claim.
Now, that name is buried—sealed under ink, ashes, and a lie I taught myself to breathe as truth. I live as Seina, a mere academy student—quiet, unimportant, unremarkable.
But behind every soft smile, every polite bow, lies the daughter of a kingdom that no longer exists in peace.
Silver hair, the mark of my bloodline—cursed to shine even in darkness. Every morning, I hide it beneath black powder and prayer. Every night, I wash it away, only for it to shimmer again, a constant betrayal of who I am.
A reminder that freedom doesn't come without pretending to be someone else. They told me to live unseen.
But how could I, when he looks at me like he already knows?
Prince Ashen Vesperianth.
My betrothed. My future. My enemy. My anchor.
The boy who once sneaked through my window, who made the world bearable in my cage, now looks at me like I'm a ghost from a life he's trying to forget.
He lost his brother—the King—and with him, the light that once burned so quietly in his eyes. I should've asked sooner how deep his wounds went.
Maybe I was too selfish. Maybe I was too afraid to see that the boy I missed was gone.
Now, we sit across grand dining tables, pretending we're fine—while a single untouched seat reminds us of everything we've lost.
We speak like strangers in public, yet his hand still finds mine when no one's watching. And I hate that it still feels like home.
Because no matter how many lies, I tell, no matter what mask I wear, the thread between us has never broken. It only hides, gleaming faintly beneath the dark—silver and unyielding.
And someday, when the empire burns and my secret name is called again...
I don't know if that thread will pull me back to him—or strangle us both.