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A kingdom carved from ice. A prince bound by duty and a body that betrays him. A girl who brings the warmth of a world away.
In the heart of the rugged mountains of Aerthos, the capital city of Aethelburg rests under the watchful shadows of the Tri-Guardians. Here, seventeen-year-old Alexei, the youngest child and only heir of King Arthur IV and Queen Grace, lives a life of beautiful contradictions. He is brilliant, ambitious, and strikingly handsome-but he is a prince of glass. Living with Muscular Dystrophy in a country that prizes physical strength, Alexei is determined to prove his worth to his father and his four protective sisters: Maria, Clara, Norah, and Anastasia.
Alexei's world is one of ancient Aethian traditions and cold, lonely expectations-until Layla arrives.
Visiting from America for the Christmas break, Layla is unlike anyone Alexei has ever met. She is vibrant, bold, and she doesn't see a "sick prince" when she looks at him; she sees a soul as wild and adventurous as her own. As they explore the turquoise glacial lakes and lantern-lit squares of Aethelburg, a bond forms that challenges every royal protocol.
But as the winter chill deepens, so do the stakes. With the pressure of the crown weighing on his shoulders and his health a constant shadow, Alexei must decide: will he play the part of the fragile heir history expects him to be, or will he write a new story for himself-and for the girl who taught him how to breathe?
Two worlds. One winter. A love that could melt the highest peaks.