A princess's duty is to be beautiful, quiet, not loud, to be seen and not to be heard, which was how Dahlia lived most of her life. Bound by the expectations of her title, she spent years trying to prove to her father that she was more than just a princess and capable of being more than an ornament in his court but each time she never got the chance. Instead, she was forced into a marriage of convenience with the bravest knight in all the kingdom, Reagan Hawthorne.

Dahlia thought she would use this marriage to escape the brutal crutches of her father and glide out of her cage but Reagan’s cold disdain was an unexpected prison of its own. While he waged wars on distant lands, she stayed behind, holding his household together and protecting the people he seemed to ignore. But Dahlia carried a dangerous secret. By day, she was the perfect wife. By night, she became the "Black Knight," a masked vigilante fighting for justice in the shadows.

Reagan returned, ready to focus on his personal mission: avenging his father’s death. To him, Dahlia was just another pawn in his plans—a spoiled princess he needed to tolerate. But as cracks began to form in her perfect façade, Reagan couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to his wife than met the eye.

Now, with enemies circling closer and their secrets threatening to collide, Dahlia and Reagan must confront the lies they’ve told themselves and each other. But when masks fall and truths are revealed, will their fragile bond withstand the storm—or will it shatter beyond repair?

One wound. One secret. One night that changes everything.

Bjorn arrived at my manor late at night, alone and without any entourage. I met with him and brought him in using the secret passage way that Dahlia uses when she was the black knight. I quickly brought him upstairs and straight into my study where Nikolai and Killian were going to be waiting for us. His coming here was a secret something that we didn't want anyone else to know. Too many people knowing about it was going to ruin the plan, something we couldn't afford. We were already starting to run out of time.


I ushered Bjorn in before I turned around to lock the door before anyone could see him. I turned back only to see that Bjorn's posture had gotten rigid. He was staring at something in the corner of the room. I followed his eye sight and my gaze landed on the baby's crib where Ivar cooed softly. I watched as Bjorn slowly staggered towards the baby's crib and I realized that it was the first time he was going to be seeing his nephew for the very first time.


Chapter 188 - Hawthorne's Lineage