When the king of Aizasea is assassinated, eighteen-year-old Celvene is wise enough to keep her head down after witnessing the attack. As a circus mage, she has no business in politics - until the next ruler is selected by ritual, and Celvene is the sole soul capable of wielding the king's sword. Declared the destined queen, Celvene expects to rise... but her kingdom has other plans. Instead of honoring the ritual, the brutish general Aleksandr brands her an upstart peasant and forces her into the castle as a servant, hoping she'll disappear quietly. With their mortal enemy continuing to strike the city, the people yearn for a more ruthless leader, and Aleksandr is hellbent on seizing the crown for himself. On top of that, forbidden and deadly magic begins to blossom in Celvene's heart, threatening to unravel all she holds dear. The magic corrupts her mind and drives her to acts she commits against her will, tainting her already struggling reputation. And among the enemy ranks stands her childhood best friend, fighting for the other side of the war. Facing her again is a complication Celvene can't ignore. As tensions rise and the horrors of war unfold, Celvene uncovers twisted secrets that could spell the death of her city. Will she survive long enough to fulfill her destiny as queen, or will the shadows of dark magic and war consume her? BY ROYAL DECREE: ✓ Circus-mage underdog protagonist ✓ Grumpy sapphic love interest with a heart of gold ✓ Corruption magic fueled by famine ✓ Iconic, sassy non-binary mentor ✓ Worldbuilding inspired by the Four Horsemen ✓ Twists and turns galore FEATURED: ♛ @Fantasy's Epic/High Fantasy

A marriage forged in obligation binds Parvathi and Abhimanyu, two individuals carrying unseen wounds. Parvathi, quiet and guarded, harbors a secret that threatens to shatter the fragile foundation of their union. Abhimanyu, a man of few words and smoldering intensity, carries his own unspoken burdens. Their wedding, a carefully orchestrated event, becomes the stage for a silent battleground. Beneath the surface of polite interactions and societal expectations lies a simmering tension. Neither trusts easily, and the weight of their pasts threatens to consume their present. As they navigate the unfamiliar territory of their arranged marriage, the question remains: Can two souls, each burdened by their own mysteries, find solace in each other, or are they destined to remain strangers bound by circumstance?