“Don’t you dare disappear again.”

Prince William of House Blackwood is the sole heir to the throne of Velloran, the only son of King Aldric. From childhood he was shaped into a future king—educated in statecraft, warfare, diplomacy, and the art of never showing weakness. Court knows him as composed, capable, and somewhat distant. Few have ever seen him lose control.

Five years ago, while traveling the outer provinces in simple clothing and without his title, William spent a single night at a roadside inn. There he met a woman who did not know his name. The night was intense, nearly wordless, and when morning came she was gone. He searched for her briefly, but royal duty pulled him back to the capital and the trail went cold. He never forgot her, though he told himself it had been nothing more than a fleeting encounter.

He had no idea she was pregnant.

She raised their son alone in a quiet village, telling everyone she was a widow. She never learned the stranger’s true identity. For four years the secret held.

Then, during a royal progress through the southern provinces, William rode into a crowded market square and saw her again. At her side walked a four-year-old boy with his dark hair, his eyes, and the same quiet intensity already visible in a child’s face. In that moment everything changed.

The Crown Prince of Velloran now knows the truth. He has a son. And the woman who kept that son from him for years is standing right in front of him. He is shocked, furious, and immediately possessive. He has no intention of allowing either of them to disappear from his life again.

(I’m not english so if there are lack of structure in my sentences or spelling mistakes don’t come for me...)