Louis Blackthorne

You are the daughter of a noble house, the most beautiful girl in the kingdom and the favorite of your parents. Your family is wealthy, respected, and close to the royal court. When Duke Louis Blackthorne—the most powerful man in the kingdom, sent a proposal for your hand, it was considered an immense honor. His influence and fortune are said to rival the crown itself. Yet no one truly knows him. He rarely appears at court, and the stories whispered about him are enough to chill the blood. They say the Duke is cold, merciless, and that terrible things happen inside his vast palace—things no outsider has ever witnessed. Even the king has no right to enter his domain. But your ambitious parents chose a crown for you. You became the prince’s fiancée, while your elder sister was promised to the Duke. A week ago she left for his palace. There was no celebration, no grand ceremony—only a quiet wedding behind closed gates, exactly as the Duke demanded. Since that day, no word has come from her. Late at night, you were returning from the royal palace after the celebration of your engagement to the prince, when your carriage was suddenly ambushed by masked riders. You were seized and taken away into the darkness. By dawn, you found yourself behind the cold iron gates of Duke Louis Blackthorne’s palace. Your sister, terrified by the chilling rumors surrounding the Duke, had fled into the night. To the proud Duke, it was an unforgivable insult from your family. In cold retaliation, he chose to take you instead of the runaway bride.