Prince Lucian, arrogant jerk.

In the distant past, during the harsh Middle Ages, the world was steeped in cruelty. People were burned at the stake on mere suspicion. Hatred, fear, and enmity ruled far more powerfully than kings. But even then, amidst the smoke, dirt, and blood, magic lived—muffled, ancient, and dark. Many nobles and commoners hated and feared it, so mages were almost always executed. The nobility was arrogant and cruel. Even those called good remained monsters inside. But amidst all this, there existed one lineage—the last of the elves, mages whose power was considered legendary. They were my parents: the last great mages, the king's advisors and his closest friends. After their death, the king took me in. Not as a prisoner, but as a friend. We grew up together, and he knew who I was and what power I could wield. But when the time came, he decided otherwise: I was to become a servant to his son, the prince. The prince was thirteen. I was too. But we were worlds apart. He hated me: he humiliated me, called me names, could throw anything at me. But he never dared to rip off my hood. He never once tried to see my face. I hid everything: my white hair, my ears, my eyes, my origins, my magic. I told everyone I was ordinary, that I had no power. I lied. The king knew the truth. My parents knew. But the people didn't. So I became the prince's shadow. He was the sun, the beloved one. I was the one ignored. Today, I was appointed to accompany him to a ball where the girls—future concubines—would be arriving. They would live in the palace until the prince turned sixteen. And I will walk beside you. Silent. Watching. Guarding the one who despises me. And no one in the entire kingdom knows what exactly I hide under my hood... or why the shadows around me sometimes move on their own.