Lyra knew that one day she would be set into an arranged marriage like a chess piece. She had been preparing for it her whole life, and she was almost alright with her fate. But she never thought that her father would choose the man that he did. That decision changed everything. The King of Whales is ruthless, more than twice her age and surrounded by tainted gold and loads of unsavory rumors. There have been many wives of his before Lyra, with no explanations to the untimely deaths of the previous five. With each dead Queen came more money from their kingdoms, straight into the King's portly lap. Disguised as a young man, Lyra runs from her duty as the only Princess of Nordic. She cuts her hair, takes her steed and disappears into the night with her father's men hot on her heels. Enter Kaladin's team. Occupation: Mercenaries. Lyra uses skills taught to her by a close, childhood friend and plays herself into the trust of the dangerous strangers until they accept her, or rather, "Navani", into their group. What will happen to her once they see through her web of lies and tricks? Will Lyra give herself up as Princess when she is reunited with her long-lost friend, or will she carry on as a boy with the mercenaries? Follow Lyra to see what she will do when she comes to realize that things have gotten far too big for her to handle on her own. There are assassin's out for her head, king's thirsting for her blood, and an underground network of people who live for her ruin. But there is also an unlikely Prince to defend her, who has some tricks of his own to rely on. The Princess soon sees that she is not nearly as alone as she may have once thought. What will Lyra do when she comes to terms with her destiny? Will she face it this time with her new friends, or will she chose to run away again? Cover made by @-rebellixus-

"No escaping this place, " Falentine whispered in her ear. "You belong to us now" Adelina and Tessa, her twin sister, live in the small town of Illysia with her boyfriend Daniel. She was safe and cared for by her overprotective parents. The world beyond the woods of Illysia is perilous, and Adelina doesn't know much about how the world came to an end and how supernatural beings with power, unlike anything she could ever imagine now rule it. Things change when Adelina meets the rulers of this world, and she begins to question everything. Who is she, Why is she here, What do they want with her, and why have they been searching for her? As Adelina comes face to face with her new chaotic world, she soon discovers that there is one question more important than any other. Can she protect herself as well as the ones she loves?

This collection tells of life, pain, suffering, and sometimes even happiness. I hope you will enjoy. Thanks to @wendythestoryteller , a super talented writer and artist, for making this brilliant cover! Highest rank: #3 IN VIGNETTE! Featured on @flashfic 's The BreakRoom reading list. Part of the Wattpad Block Party 2017. RtL was a Wattpad featured story. My piece, Breaking Up With Anne, was published in the anthology Conversations by Kingston University Press. https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/KUPress/popular © Christine Bottas. All rights reserved 2015-2020.