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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 war council was set to convene at dawn. By the time the first hints of sunlight touched the horizon, the great hall of Hull's stronghold was already filled with the heavy presence of its warlords. The scent of damp stone and burning torches thickened the air, mixing with the tension that clung to the room like smoke.

Lucian and I stood near the head of the long wooden table, where my father and mother had already taken their seats. Aedric leaned against the far wall, arms crossed, watching the room with the sharpness of a wolf ready to pounce.

The warlords filled the chamber one by one, some dressed in heavy furs, others in worn armor still scarred from old battles. These were the men and women who had shaped Hull's future for generations. Fighters, leaders, and survivors. But they were also stubborn, divided, and wary of change.

When the last of them arrived, my father rose to his feet. The hall fell silent.

Chapter 41