Following his father's unjust treason accusation and execution, Ryker, heir to the Duke of Westerwyn, witnesses his world collapse. Left with his sister and mother, they teeter on the brink of catastrophe.
A glimmer of hope, however, arises as news circulates that the Cadilaria Empire's emperor plans to get his heir married—an enigmatic woman, shrouded in a half mask due to an alleged curse.
Given an unwelcome choice, the King compels Ryker to either wed the Masked Princess as the Duke of Westerwyn or face execution. Faced with this grave decision, Ryker, driven by the need to protect his family and restore honor, chooses to court the Masked Princess.
Determined to win her heart and avenge his father's demise, Ryker treads a perilous path, even if it means manipulating a potentially deadly royal ally.

The Masked Princess (Behind the Mask)

Ryker watched with held breath as Raquel quietly headed to the wyvern, keeping low and using her fur coat as a camouflage. Not that it was much help considering how blood stained the snow was.


Nonetheless, it worked mostly because the wyvern was still feasting on its kills. 


Halfway, Raquel came to a stop and unsheathed her sword, going into a battle stance as she raised her sword. Ryker raised his hands, preparing a fire blast spell to attack the wyvern.


He watched with interest as she let out a breath of cold air, closing her eyes. A moment later, goosebumps ran across his arms as he felt his surroundings become heavy with some kind of tension. And when Raquel opened her eyes again, fear gripped his heart for a moment.


So, this is the true power of berserkers. Ryker thought to himself as he tried to quell his fear.  They raise fear into their enemies' hearts before becoming a monster in battle…


Wyvern (2)