The spring of Astermere is dying, and Celia Hartwell is the only one who hears the first warning from beneath the floor. Celia is a quiet restoration assistant at the Royal Conservatory Archive Office, more trusted with torn pages than with important secrets. When she uncovers a hidden green book in a condemned storage annex, she expects a damaged relic. Instead, she releases a proud, sharp-tongued creature with golden eyes, leaf-bright wings, and far too many secrets. He refuses to give his true name. He refuses to explain why the flowers across the capital are losing their color. And he absolutely refuses to be treated like a pet. But the book that holds him is damaged, the palace wants all anomalous magic sealed away, and the strange blight stealing spring from Astermere is spreading faster than anyone will admit. If Celia reports what she found, he may disappear into a vault forever. If she hides him, she risks her position, her freedom, and perhaps her heart. As forbidden magic, royal secrets, and a long-buried curse begin to surface, Celia must decide who to trust: the rules that have always kept her safe, or the impossible prince who may be the key to saving spring. A lush fantasy romance for readers who love enchanted books, cursed princes, magical archives, slow-burn tension, and heroines who mend more than broken pages.