The crown sat heavy on her head, but not nearly as heavy as the truth she had just learned. Princess Delilah pressed her palm against the cold stone wall of the castle corridor, her breath coming in short gasps. Through the narrow window, she could see the lights of the city below, thousands of people who had no idea their entire kingdom was built on a lie. Behind her, footsteps echoed in the darkness. They were coming. And when they found her, everything would end. She had two choices: stay and accept the fate they had planned for her, or run into a world she had only ever seen from tower windows. Delilah looked down at her silk slippers, completely unsuited for anything beyond marble floors, and made her decision. She ran
