Golda

"She was supposed to be silent. She chose chaos instead."
Lorraine was the abused daughter of the Grand Duke of Vaeloria—mute, deaf, and dismissed. Overshadowed by her perfect half-sister, Elyse, even the hostage prince she once saved mistook Elyse for his savior… and fell in love with the wrong girl.
But fate bound Lorraine to that same prince. 
Married young to Leroy Regis, the war-born Crown Prince of Kaltharion, Lorraine was nothing more than a pawn in a peace treaty. He never touched her. Never spoke to her. Never knew she could hear every word and speak, just not aloud.
For ten years, she waited for the husband who called her “useless” and “a mistake”.
In secret, Lorraine became his silent guardian: protecting his life, building his power, shielding his name. She gave everything. And when he returned from war after five years, she waited on the balcony, hoping he’d finally see her.
But he broke her heart. He came home with another woman by his side. His mistress, bold and beautiful, was a mirror of Elyse. And he rode right past his wife… without looking back. As if she meant nothing.
Now, the Silent Crown stays silent, but she would not be still. She's not powerless anymore. She's gained power on her own, walking in the shadows.
If love couldn’t move him, perhaps she shouldn't remain. If her devotion meant nothing, then it’s time he learns what his “mistake” is truly capable of.
She will break his heart…
She will leave…
But not before setting the palace ablaze,  and letting the ashes speak for her.

Silent Crown: The Masked Prince's Bride

"You can touch my tits in exchange!"

Lorraine cleared her throat, the sound rasping like dry leaves scraped across stone, pain flaring in her raw vocal cords. Her broken voice trembled in the air, its meaning a mystery even to her.

She couldn't grasp what those reckless words had unveiled. Just a week ago, she'd overheard a maid caught stealing in her father's sprawling mansion. The girl's voice had quivered as she whispered those same words to her stern supervisor. Lorraine had watched them, hidden behind a curtain, as she always hovered around, unnoticed by the people in the mansion. The supervisor led the maid into a shadowed room, and no punishment followed. He even started to treat her better after that.

Back then, her life was a cycle of pain and beatings. She'd have done anything to escape them. Now, years later, she understood the danger of her words to a lesser man. At the time, they'd been meaningless noise said to avoid anger and punishment.

Their First Meeting: Dark Thoughts