I've been locked in this mysterious mansion for ten years. Cleaning and following the rules of a Lord whose face I've never seen. Rule 1: Don't walk the halls at night Rule 2: Never leave the property Rule 3: Don't ask about the Lord of the estate Once you leave the mansion, you can't come back. My mother tells me I should be thankful because only crime and death remain outside the gates after the war. But after ten years of cleaning the same halls and reading the same books, after ten years of unanswered questions, my curiosity got the best of me. I snuck out of the mansion and went to the nearby town: a crime that could get me banished. I began asking about the mysterious Lord, and tonight, I will walk the forbidden halls and hope to catch a glimpse of him. This is a 15-chapter sample. The Complete story is on patreon.com/ancientt

A younger sister cannot wed before an older sister. It's a law of their society, a rule vehemently obeyed by prominent families in the nobility, and it's always been Ella Harrington's buffer. Ella has never been interested in marrying for anything short of love itself. Unfortunately for her, love is a rarity in the marriages of the aristocracy. Fortunately for her, her sister Emily is precisely one year older than her and is the most unpleasant, disagreeable, sulking woman to ever debut in all of England. So Ella may never have to marry at all. A free woman, she enjoys her time on the sidelines and wishes for nothing more. That is, until a tall, dark, and brooding Duke comes to town alongside an old friend of her brother's. Suddenly, Ella finds herself questioning the antiquated marriage order rule as her buffer begins to feel more like a barrier. Not that it matters. The Duke isn't interested in her anyway. Right?

Ginelle Hayes is orphaned, and after escaping her abusive guardian with a dark secret, she finds herself alone on the cruel streets of London. Then Eloise Ashford arrives to take the impoverished child under her care and back to her lavish plantation manor where she raises the skittish child as her own. He is an intense and challenging man, with dark secrets and a guarded heart. Dorian Don Ashford returns from sea, eager to seek the comforts of his manor home, only to find an unwanted distraction in the form of a small, orphan girl. As time transpires, the girl transforms into a remarkable beauty that stirs feelings unknown to Dorian, slowly thawing the ice around his heart. But when a sudden tragedy occurs, will it bring Dorian and Ginelle closer, will their desire and destiny bound them together in the thralls of love or will the past resurface and the perilous truths shatter their lives forever? Cover done by M_Rainberry.