In the quiet of the forest, Islinda's mercy toward an injured Fae sets in motion a collision of worlds—one she never saw coming. The mysterious prince is Valerie, heir to Astaria's summer court, and despite the ancient hostility between humans and Fae, they discover something neither could resist: love. When Valerie returns to his realm with promises of reunion, Islinda waits faithfully. His replacement arrives instead. Prince Aldric embodies darkness itself. Stripped of his birthright by a curse tied to his cursed bloodline, he remains a formidable warrior and a dangerous prince—feared by many, loved by none. Twisted by denial and starved for power, Aldric seizes the one thing guaranteed to wound his favored brother: Islinda herself. Ripped from her home and thrust into the deadly games of Astaria's courts, Islinda confronts a nightmare wearing a crown. Aldric keeps her as his prize, his plaything, his weapon against Prince Valerie. She despises him with every breath. He is the villain who stole her future. Yet trapped in his cruel kingdom, Islinda discovers something unsettling—the ruthless prince cannot claim what he truly desires. No matter how he tempts her or towers over her, her heart remains locked away. She will never surrender it. Or will she? When Aldric offers her freedom with a dangerous smile, Islinda flees without hesitation. But escape becomes something far more sinister. The forest erupts around her. What she believed was mercy was merely the prelude to a hunt—and she is the prey. This was never freedom. This was only the beginning of his game.