agoodhiding
A blacksmith. A princess. A secret neither of them can afford to reveal.
Samuel is a man of the forge: strong, respected and far more comfortable with hammer and steel than with the intrigues of the royal court. But when a summons from the King brings him to the palace, he finds himself drawn back into the orbit of the one woman he has never quite managed to forget.
Princess Carline.
Beautiful, wilful and thoroughly accustomed to getting her own way, Carline has a secret relationship with Samuel that would scandalise the court if it were ever discovered. Away from the silks, ceremony and expectations of royal life, she trusts him with a side of herself no one else is permitted to see - the mischievous young woman who sometimes needs a firm hand, a stern lecture and a very sore reminder of where her reckless behaviour can lead.
But Carline is not Samuel's only surprise at the palace.
Her shy attendant Ellie has been watching from the shadows, fascinated by the unusual understanding between blacksmith and princess. Before long, she too finds herself seeking Samuel's guidance, discovering a need for discipline that is very different from Carline's - quieter, more vulnerable, but no less powerful.
As Samuel works to forge a ceremonial sword worthy of a king, another bond is being forged behind the palace doors. Secret meetings, jealousy, mischief and increasingly daring schemes draw the three closer together, until Samuel finds himself responsible for two very different young women who appear equally determined to test his patience.
And when Carline and Ellie decide to play games with a man who has little tolerance for dishonesty, they discover that conspiring together can have particularly uncomfortable consequences.
The Blacksmith and the Princess is a playful fantasy of forbidden affection, courtly secrets, mischievous heroines and firm, caring discipline - where royal status offers very little protection once the bedroom door is closed.