TheOtherNoble

“You are the least objectionable groom of all the ones I’ve seen,” Anaisa replied seriously. 

“Thank you for the glowing compliment,” Trace grinned, “but that didn’t quite answer my question.” 
___

Anaisa is an orphan and a pariah. In an ultimate act of betrayal, her father, a Count of the Realm, is accused of deserting and betraying the army in a time of war. Not only is he immediately executed for the offense, but the king declares he must have been a fake all along! His two daughters are stripped of their titles and inheritance, replaced by a distant cousin and cast out of their home with nothing. Anaisa swears someday she will get her title and lands back, but in the mean time, she and her sister Katia have to figure out how to survive. 

Trace is an anomaly among his people; instead of revealing their son as a magic user and thrusting him into the public eye, his parents kept it a secret to allow him to choose the kind of life he wanted. Trace found himself content to rest and play in his own dream world instead of invading the nighttime visions of others.

As an adult, his choice to remain unknown is thrown into jeopardy when a mysterious blackmailer forces Trace to enlist in the territorial war between nations, threatening to reveal his secret if the demand is not met. With the war now over, Trace believes he can finally go home to his farm and live the simple, unremarkable life he’s always desired. 

When Anaisa and Trace are thrown together by a royal edict, the sisters find themselves unwittingly tangled in the web of mystery and intrigue that surrounds the blackmailer’s escalating assignments for Trace. Anaisa begins to suspect it may be connected to the plot to replace her family in the noble court. As the scheme continues to unfold, lives, loves, marriages, and magic will be put to the test to see what forces in the world are strongest.

Dreamwalker's Bride

Mia shifted in her saddle at the strange words.

"Pardon? How many what?" She asked curiously. Ford ducked his head slightly, and pointed up.

"I don't think anyone knows," Mia let her eyes scan upward. "Why would you think I did?"

"You live with them," Ford seemed embarrassed by his explanation.

"I normally live in a house, but I have gone camping with Papa and my brothers before," Mia chewed on the inside of her cheek thoughtfully. "I tried to count them when I was younger, but I would always wind up falling asleep before I finished."

"Before I left the mine, I couldn't have imagined sleeping under stars," Ford murmured.

Mia bit her lip and watched Ford out of the corner of her eye. He seemed more open than before. Was it because they were alone? Was it because he was getting what he wanted? Was it because the cover of darkness made him feel less guarded with his secrets?

How many?