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

The servant poured out a wine into my father's cup and I noticed the way her hand trembled slightly as she did so, though she tried to mask the fear she was feeling by keeping her head bowed down. If my father noticed her trembling, he said nothing but I knew deep down he was enjoying the effect he had on her and it wasn't just her.

We were all afraid, even Marina who sat down completely rigid not daring to do anything else before my father who sat at the edge head of the table, his position relaxed as ever while he wore a smile on his face, looking every bit like a cheerful father but I knew better than to trust this façade of his.

He never appeared without a purpose, never appeared anywhere with an agenda already set in action which means if he was here he heard about what happened and if he was smiling, it meant he wasn't too happy about it, so trouble was brewing and it was just a matter of time until it blows up in my face.

A Father's Threat