_saintrose

Verona Falkenrath was raised for war, not marriage. But when her kingdom is forced into an uneasy alliance with its greatest rival, she is wed to Prince Lucian Velthorne, a man as cold and calculated as the crown he will one day inherit.

What begins as a union of duty soon becomes a tangled web of shifting loyalties, political games, and dangerous truths. With war on the horizon and enemies moving in the shadows, Verona must decide who to trust, who to fight, and what she's willing to sacrifice to protect the people she loves.

In a court ruled by power and blood, survival is not promised. But one thing is certain. The woman they tried to use as a pawn might just rewrite the game.

To Love a Crowned Enemy

The echoes of the feast still lingered in my mind as Lucian and I were escorted to our chambers. The halls were empty, save for the flickering torches casting long shadows along the stone walls. The weight of expectation pressed down on my shoulders with every step I took, the knowledge that the court would be waiting, watching for proof that this marriage had been sealed in every sense of the word.

But when the doors closed behind us, sealing us inside the dimly lit chamber, the silence between us was thick enough to suffocate.

Lucian exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair before turning to me. "They expect us to play the part," he murmured, his voice unreadable.

I met his gaze, steady and unflinching. "And do you intend to?"

A shadow of something crossed his face, something I couldn't quite name. "No."

Chapter 14