_saintrose

A woman from Hull was never meant to wear a crown. And yet, today, they would place one on her head.

Verona Falkenrath has spent her life among the wild forests and untamed lands of Hull, a province scorned by the noble courts of Praylor. To them, she and her people are nothing more than barbarians. Useful for their resources but unworthy of standing among kings. When she is forced into an arranged marriage with Prince Lucian Velthorne, Verona knows what is expected of her: be silent, be obedient, and be grateful.

But Verona has never known how to kneel.

Lucian never wanted a wife, especially not one from Hull. Cold, calculating, and bred for power, he sees their union as nothing more than a political necessity. She is a means to an end, a bridge to keep Hull under Praylor’s control. But from the moment Verona enters his court, she defies him at every turn. Fierce, untamed, and impossible to ignore.

Yet behind the whispers of their unlikely marriage, something far more dangerous is brewing. A neighboring country has begun sowing rebellion in Hull’s shadows, promising freedom from Praylor’s rule. When Verona uncovers the plot, she faces an impossible choice: stay loyal to her homeland, or betray those who would see it burn.

But Lucian has his own doubts. When the rebellion reaches its peak, can he truly trust the woman he once swore was his enemy?

Bound by duty, divided by war, and drawn together by something neither of them expected, Verona and Lucian must decide. Is their marriage just another political game, or the beginning of a love that could reshape kingdoms?

To Love a Crowned Enemy

The Queen's words still echoed in my mind as I strode through the palace corridors, my heartbeat steady despite the weight of our conversation. Evandra had not threatened me outright, but she hadn't needed to. She had made one thing clear. She was watching, and I was expected to prove myself.

I kept my steps measured, my chin high, though the tension in my spine refused to ease. The halls of the keep were never truly empty, even in the early hours. Servants flitted past like silent specters, their gazes averted, their whispers swallowed by the vast stone corridors. A pair of noblewomen paused in their conversation as I passed, their expressions carefully composed but their eyes sharp with curiosity.

They had seen me enter the Queen's solar. They would be speculating already, spinning theories in hushed tones over morning tea.

Chapter 23