crysieverse
In the cold halls of Haverford Manor, Isabell, Duchess of the North, is a master of duty-flawless, untouchable, and emotionless. Married to the equally distant Duke Edmund for two years, their partnership is all business, no heart. But when the empress summons them to a grand ball, demanding a northern alliance to secure her empire, their fragile balance shifts. As political schemes and vicious rumors unfold, Edmund starts to see Isabell's icy perfection in a new light. Why does she lock everyone out? And why can't he stop wanting to know?
With his charming spy Cassian flirting at every turn, cunning knight Roderic sniffing out secrets, and innocent aide Lorin keeping things together, Edmund dives into a world of court games and hidden truths. But Isabell, who wants no part of love, guards a past that could break her carefully built walls. Can Edmund unravel the mystery of the woman he married, or will the empress's plans tear them apart first? A slow-burn romance of duty, secrets, and a heart .