For years, the royal heir had been holding a mysterious “balance test” to find the one princess worthy of his heart—but not a single woman could pass it. Then an extremely plus-size girl stepped onto the golden platform, and the entire hall burst into laughter… until the device did something that made the heir rise from his seat for the first time

Every sudden movement made it tilt farther.

Every attempt to force it back into place made the hidden weights move against the candidate.

For three years, every woman had done exactly that.

They fought the machine.

Clara had been the first to stop fighting it.

She had felt the platform move, adjusted calmly, and allowed her body to find its own center.

Julian looked directly at her.

— My mother designed this test before she died. She used to tell me that a queen does not need to control everything around her. She needs to remain steady when everything around her begins to move.

Clara stared at him.

Suddenly, the words “perfect balance” had an entirely different meaning.

Julian then turned toward the other candidates.

— Some of you trained for months because you thought I was searching for a certain body.

He paused.

— I never was.

The women who had laughed at Clara only minutes earlier lowered their eyes.

Julian stepped onto the platform beside her.