Doll2001
In the iron kingdom of Maalai, strength is the only currency that matters. Charlotte, an orphaned servant girl, has learned to be invisible, enduring the cruelty of the castle's head housekeeper and the crushing weight of her lowly station. But when a stressful day drives her to the sanctuary of the forbidden woods, she seeks solace in a hidden stream-encountering someone she'd never expected.
Prince Collin is weary of delicate debutantes and scheming courtiers. In the muddy, bruised, and resilient girl he finds in the water, he sees a fire that matches his own. Defying his father, the Council, and centuries of tradition, Collin plucks Charlotte from the scullery to make her his bride.
Thrust into a world of silk and poison, Charlotte must navigate the treacherous waters of the Royal Court. She must prove to the intimidating King Theous that she is no fragile flower, silence the sneers of the nobility, and overcome the ghosts of her own trauma. From the scullery to the throne, this is the story of a girl who found her voice in the silence, and a Prince who found his equal in the mud.