Sydneynm

In the cursed kingdom of Virelia, love is not tender… it is a weapon.

When innocent yet defiant Ariana is ripped from her simple life and forced into the dark palace, she discovers her fate is sealed by fire — and claimed by a man feared across the realm.

Damian Virelith is cold, cruel, and bound to a crown of blood. But he wants her — not just her body, but her spirit, her defiance, her light. And he will possess her, no matter the cost.

As Ariana tries to resist his grip, a jealous princess burns with hatred. Secrets are unearthed. Magic stirs. And a forbidden passion ignites into something neither of them can control.

She was supposed to be his weakness. Instead, she might be his ruin.

Flame Forbidden

Ariana stood before the tall mirror in her chamber, fingers trembling as they fastened the last clasp of her velvet gown. It wasn't the weight of the fabric that made her hesitate—it was the weight of the eyes that would soon be on her.

She was expected to address the court today.

Not as a mistress hiding behind shadows.

But as something... undefined. Dangerous. Powerful. Human.

Her reflection stared back, fierce and fragile.

"You don't look like her," she whispered to the mirror, thinking of her mother. "But gods, you sound like her."

Damian didn't wait for permission before slipping inside. His voice was quieter today, as though he sensed she needed silence more than speeches.

She nodded, then glanced at him—not the prince, not the heir, but the man. "Do I look like someone worth fearing?"

Damian tilted his head, a rare softness in his eyes. "You look like someone who's been through hell and still chose to show up."

For all the fire in her veins, it was that—the quiet faith in his voice—that steadied her.

The court hall was packed. Nobles lined the walls, guards posted at every pillar, and at the center stood a single golden platform where she was expected to speak.

Ariana's steps echoed as she walked through the aisle. Some bowed. Some looked away.

Some watched with barely veiled hate.

"I'm not your queen," she began, voice even. "Not by title. Not by your traditions. But I've bled for this land. I've buried people I love because of your wars, your secrets. And I've walked through fire you tried to extinguish."

"I didn't come back to beg for your approval. I came back to end this cycle. The rebellion isn't just steel and flame—it's grief, betrayal, power built on lies."

She looked to the nobles, one by one.

"And I'm done letting you pretend none of this is your fault."

Lady Verena's face went pale. Duke Caldrin scowled. Someone in the back gasped when Ariana's eyes lit faintly gold.

"I won't ask for your loyalty," she said. "You'll either offer it freely—or I'll burn the rot myself."

Damian stepped forward beside her. Not to stop her—but to stand with her.

Later that evening, the palace was quieter. Ariana slipped into the garden, needing air. She found Kairo already there, seated on the stone bench beneath the moonflowers.

"I saw you today," he said without looking at her. "You were... powerful."

She sat beside him, not touching, but near.

"I didn't want to be," she said softly. "I just wanted to survive."

Kairo's jaw tightened. "We don't get to be soft anymore, do we?"

Ariana smiled faintly. "I think softness is the bravest part."

He looked at her then, eyes full of what-ifs and could-have-beens.

But before either could say more, Seraphine arrived, her cloak soaked from rain, eyes wide.

"There's something you need to see," she said.

In the old library's forbidden wing, a body was laid out across a table. A messenger. Skin cold. Lips stained with black.

Damian arrived seconds later, eyes scanning the scene. "Poison?"

Seraphine nodded grimly. "And this was found in his boot."

She handed Ariana a folded letter, sealed with a symbol she hadn't seen in years.

She's not the only flame that survived. Virelia stole more than one heir.

Ariana looked up slowly, face unreadable.

"Then let them come," she whispered. "I'm done running."

A Queen With No Crown