_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 great hall of Hull's stronghold was nothing like the gilded chambers of Praylor's court. There were no towering stained-glass windows, no intricate chandeliers dripping with gold. Here, the walls were lined with weapons, axes, swords, and shields bearing the crests of Hull's warlords.

The long wooden table at the center was scarred from years of heated debates and fists slammed in anger. Smoke curled from the great hearth, the scent of burning oak mixing with the crisp mountain air that seeped through the stone.

This was Hull. Unpolished. Unyielding. And entirely unimpressed by royalty.

Lucian walked beside me, his posture carefully measured. He had spent years navigating political warfare in Praylor's court, where power was hidden behind velvet words and sharpened smiles.

But here? Power was worn like armor, displayed openly in the hardened gazes of the men and women who filled the hall.

Chapter 38