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)

The servants remained silent, a few glancing around. None stepped forward nor did anyone say a word as if they hadn’t heard his question.


Annoyance filled Ryker.  He’d be damned if he wasn’t going to figure out what was going on. Even if it meant using harsh threats on the servants to get them talking.


“I suggest someone starts talking by the time I count to five.” Ryker raised a hand. “Otherwise, you’ll all be punished with twenty lashes and have your salary docked for three months for disobeying a direct order.”


“One.” Ryker started counting, raising a finger. He raised another finger. “Two… Three… Four… Five.”


He counted slowly, yet the servants stayed in their place, not one speaking up despite the harsh punishment they would get. Ryker knew that meant one of two things.


Either they were incredibly loyal to Princess Fania or they feared her more than they feared him.


Punishments (2)