The kingdom worships Crown Prince Lucien Aurelius as its golden heir. A future king blessed with power, grace, and a heart noble enough to protect those too weak to protect themselves. Seraphina Valecrest once believed that, too. Through every cruel rumour, every whispered insult, every disaster that seemed determined to ruin her life, Lucien was always there to pull her back from the edge. Even after her parents vanished and returned with their memories shattered, he remained the only constant in her collapsing world. Until Kael Dravenhart entered it. Feared across Solaris as the ruthless ruler of the underworld, Kael is a man wrapped in bloodstained legends and shadows. Dangerous. Merciless. Untouchable. The kind of monster kingdoms pray never turns his gaze toward them. So when Seraphina is bound to him through a marriage contract, the entire kingdom sees it as a tragedy. A helpless girl trapped between a villain and the prince, trying to save her. But beneath the beauty of the kingdom and the glow of its false saints, secrets rot quietly in the dark. And Seraphina is far less powerless than the world believes. --- Dark fantasy romance • Psychological thriller • Morally grey characters • Obsession • Political intrigue • Smut • Gore • Slow burn • Mature themes