Ashton Ward, the son of the Queen's Guard, has been secretly healing wounded animals since he was a child. His life has always been quite secluded. That soon changes as he grows older and realizes there are consequences for everything he does and everyone he involves himself with. Princess Beatrice struggles finding herself in a world where everything is controlled for her. She yearns for freedom and will rebel to gain it, especially once she gets a taste of life beyond the castle walls. Besides, she can get away with anything, can't she? She's the heir to the throne, after all. They both have demons to face, and they might discover that they have more in common than just the color of their brown eyes.

(BOOK #2 in the Secrets of Aristol series.) It's almost been three months since Elouise's birthday. Although she's kept herself distracted by Beatrice's past, she's left with more questions. Perhaps she isn't concentrating hard enough. After all, she's still waiting for the one who may never come back. She can only hope the answers will come faster than she fears. When Eldon returned home, he thought he would be back by Elouise's side within a month. He fell back into his old routine instead. But he hasn't stopped thinking about her and what they managed to discover together. Then his village is attacked, and he finds himself back at her side, reminded of the awakened ability within him he's tried to avoid. He only hopes things will start making more sense this time. If anything's worth hoping for, though, it's that Eldon will finally believe. But he won't be the only one forced to face the secrets of the kingdom.

One comes from royalty, and one comes from poverty. Yet the same shadows follow them everywhere, leading them right to each other and their destiny. ***** Princess Elouise and Eldon are complete opposites who come from different areas of Aristol. Elouise's biggest worry is ensuring she lives up to her kingdom's expectations of a Queen. Eldon's biggest worry is how much food will be hunted for the week. So when Elouise awakens a magical ability and Eldon is beckoned to the capital by a disembodied voice, they realize there might be more to themselves than they believed. They are both the only two living souls with brown eyes, and they understand they were brought together for a reason. Unfortunately, there are people who know more about them than they do. These people are a cult who despise the royal family. They lurk in every corner, getting closer and closer. To make matters worse, the Kingdom of Aristol seems to hold more secrets than Elouise and Eldon can handle. (Book One of The Secrets of Aristol series.) Content warning: this story contains themes of violence, blood, and death.