It was a gamble, he knew. But as a father and a leader, he believed in Zion's heart and strength. He believed this arrangement could be the answer, not only to keep Addison safe, but to give his son a partner worthy of standing beside him.
And above all, he hoped that this decision would lead them both to happiness.
But who would have thought that his carefully laid plans would unravel and become the very cause of Addison's suffering and Zion's pain and regret?
The flaw wasn't in the plan itself. It was in the betrayal.
Out of spite and grief over losing her own mate, Zion's mother chose to withhold the letters. Every single one. She kept them hidden, buried away with her pain, never passing them on to her son.
If only she had delivered those letters, Zion would have understood, understood his father's true intentions. He would have known that it was never about using the princess as a pawn to gain favor with the royal family. Never about chasing power.
