twelvewstars

Gifted a candle that was said to make wishes come true, Alice Clemente burned it to find herself awake in a different world. She had wished for a life of adventure away from the city and its routine. With her wish granted, she was no longer in the 21st century and was instead lost in the middle of the Kingdom of Gladiolum, a place reminiscent of the 1800s.

With luck, she soon gained connections to the rich and powerful of this new world— the nobility. However, how much of it was good and how much of it would eventually be detrimental? After all, mingling with royals not only meant extravagance and daily parties. It also meant warfare and death. 

Caught in the middle of the two princes and other nobles, Alice would soon have to face the battle between those two royal brothers― a fight for the throne.

She had wished for adventure, after all, and she received just as such.

Kept in the center of all this, would Alice be able to emerge from the rabbit hole unscathed? Or will the overwhelming troubles of love and war be too much for her to bear?


***

“And what if you, too, are unable to help?” Alice threw the question back. “What if helping would risk everything?”

Spade didn’t miss a beat.

“You are everything.”

“Don’t say things that you don’t mean,” Alice chided. “You’ll leave a trail of broken hearts.”

“And would you believe me if I say that I have no intention of breaking yours?” Spade countered. “However, mine is yours to play with. Shatter it, fix it, do anything you desire. As long as it feels the warmth of your hand, I am content.”

***

Image used in cover not mine.

A Courtyard of Roses

THE FIRST BALL that Alice had attended, if she recalled correctly, had been Spade's birthday celebration. It was a masquerade, and as a result of the mask everyone wore for the festivities, she had unknowingly made the acquaintance of Prince Hartley.

This time, the royal ball that was held was in celebration of the crown prince's birthday. If the whispers of the maids had been correct, it would also most likely be the time Hartley would announce the woman that would be selected as the crown princess, his future wife.

"They will be watching you like a hawk," Wyatt reminded, speaking from the other side of the folding screen. "Just be prepared to answer any and every question, and don't ever reply to anything truthfully if you deem the truth does more harm than benefits."

"And how would I― oof," Alice huffed out when the maids pulled on the strings of her corset a little tighter than before. "How would I know whether it benefits me or not?"

The Promise of Everything