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

"Don't play dumb, Cedric," she said, cheeks flushed. "I'm not that stupid little girl anymore who…" She swallowed the rest of her words.

She was not the girl who waited around with letters she never sent and looked at the gate every evening like a fool.

She looked at him then, and for a second, there it was... the years between them, the ache of unspoken things. But she caught it, swallowed it, and smiled.

"Maybe you can take Zara so that my princess would be free," she mumbled. So, what if she didn't get the love of the man? It was fine if the princess's route was cleared.

"I—Emma, it's not like that with me and Zara." Cedric's eyes widened, caught off guard. "She-the prince-She~"

"Oh, save it." She shook her head. "You think I don't notice the way you look at her? Like she's a mystery you want to solve. Like, only she matters."

The words slipped out of him too fast, and it surprised them both.

Got Caught In The Middle Of The Night