DA_Aloera

A princess's duty is to be beautiful, quiet, not loud, to be seen and not to be heard, which was how Dahlia lived most of her life. Bound by the expectations of her title, she spent years trying to prove to her father that she was more than just a princess and capable of being more than an ornament in his court but each time she never got the chance. Instead, she was forced into a marriage of convenience with the bravest knight in all the kingdom, Reagan Hawthorne.

Dahlia thought she would use this marriage to escape the brutal crutches of her father and glide out of her cage but Reagan’s cold disdain was an unexpected prison of its own. While he waged wars on distant lands, she stayed behind, holding his household together and protecting the people he seemed to ignore. But Dahlia carried a dangerous secret. By day, she was the perfect wife. By night, she became the "Black Knight," a masked vigilante fighting for justice in the shadows.

Reagan returned, ready to focus on his personal mission: avenging his father’s death. To him, Dahlia was just another pawn in his plans—a spoiled princess he needed to tolerate. But as cracks began to form in her perfect façade, Reagan couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to his wife than met the eye.

Now, with enemies circling closer and their secrets threatening to collide, Dahlia and Reagan must confront the lies they’ve told themselves and each other. But when masks fall and truths are revealed, will their fragile bond withstand the storm—or will it shatter beyond repair?

One wound. One secret. One night that changes everything.

THE Knight’s Hidden Princess

<p>After three weeks with the refugees, they were starting to slowly warm up to me. It wasn't much—just small things. When I walked by them they gave brief greetings while they saved me a portion of their food and their angry looks diminished while I struggled with my work. Their skepticism toward me persisted although I had no expectation for full trust at that time. The cold resentment which initially dominated their attitude began to soften after a period of three weeks.</p>

<p>Martha stopped looming over me, trusting me to able to handle cooking duty on my own without messing them up. Lars had also stopped with the snarky remarks, although I suppose it was more of exhaustion than any real softening of attitude and the children also began to warm up to me.</p>

The Double crossing