In a kingdom where obedience is demanded and women are raised to serve, power belongs entirely to men-and punishment for disobedience isn't rare, it's expected. Here, silence is survival. Consent is irrelevant. And to step out of line is to risk everything. Athena Mae Kahn was raised to follow the rules, but she's always questioned them. Quietly. Carefully. With a fire she keeps buried beneath practiced smiles and polite nods. She dreams of change-of a world where women are free to think, speak, and live on their own terms. And when she's unexpectedly chosen by the crown prince to be his bride, she dares to hope that marriage might be her way in. Her chance to challenge the rot from within the palace walls. But Prince August did not choose Athena for her ideals. He chose her for her bloodline. Her beauty. Her silence. To him, she's a symbol-something to possess, shape, and control. Becoming queen will not grant Athena influence. It will trap her in a golden cage with a man determined to tighten the chains around every woman in the kingdom. Now, Athena must decide: will she become the docile wife he demands? Or will she risk everything to ignite the rebellion she's only ever dreamed of?
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