K_Mopo

Rebellious. Defiant. Reluctant.

Isolde Blackwell never wanted the crown. Her loving parents and the kingdom they rule mean everything to her, but when her elder sister abdicates, the unwanted responsibility of becoming queen falls on her shoulders.

Determined to escape her fate, Isolde crafts a new identity—cold, arrogant, unapproachable. She lashes out, pushing everyone away, hoping to convince her family and court that she's unfit for the throne.

Then Lyra Skyblade enters her life. Half-human, half-demon, and fiercely independent, Lyra saves Isolde from an attack, unknowingly becoming her bodyguard. Thrust together by circumstance, their initial animosity burns hot, each detesting the other.

But as they face monstrous threats and navigate political intrigue, Isolde's icy facade begins to thaw. Lyra's unwavering dedication stirs something unexpected within her. Can Isolde embrace her true self and the burgeoning feelings she has for Lyra, even as she fights against the destiny she never wanted?

In a world where rebellion and duty clash, two souls find love in the most unlikely of places.

The princess's bodyguard ( Isolde point of view)

The castle was perversely quiet in the hour before the delegation's return.

The comfortable hum of servants, the distant beat of court music on the wind, the warmth of sun on marble all of them faded behind a stinging, nagging ache I couldn't shake from my chest.

I had sat all day, not allowing myself to be anxious, not allowing myself to ask for news, not allowing myself most of all not even to hope—that something had occurred to Lyra.

But fear edged the perimeter of my peace. I had heard what Commander Sabryn said at lunch: children taken, pirates bold enough to raid in the daylight, with the royal guard present.

I knew, honestly with myself, that Lyra would never hesitate in the face of danger. And that meant she'd take every hit meant for others. That frightened me most.

When the horses at last were clattering through the castle gates, the sound dropped like a trumpet blast through my ribs.

You're injured