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

Alice looked up from her hands, her tongue darting out to wet her dry bottom lip. Her eyes quickly found Spade, who was removing his coat before hanging it on the rack for the night. His actions were slow, and with each movement, the candlelight clearly highlighted every impressive rise and dip of his muscle.

"Is it about Rose Whitaker?" Spade asked, coming forward once his hands were free of the fabric. He held his palm to Alice's face, and instantly, she melted into his touch.

"It's difficult not to think about Rose and Cedar," Alice admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "The Queen will stop at nothing, will she?"

Spade nodded. Alice looked back down again, her heart thundering in her chest. She hadn't realized what sort of trouble she had gotten herself into until now. The Queen was her mother-in-law, and being in the palace, married to a prince, was the equivalent of waltzing herself into the lion's den.

The Forgotten Detail