"You are presuming I am the type to joke, Miss Hathaway," Prince Agincourt said with a raised brow, "And I assure you, I am not," he leaned down to Penelope, the once ignored spark of that strange something, rolling thunder and winter ice, sparkling pink-blue-green aurora and twinkling cold fire in the Prince's teal eyes suddenly all she could see, "So let me ask you again: Do you believe in magic?"
When Lady Penelope Hathaway and Lucas Steiner stumble upon the mysterious city of Tywarchester, they find themselves entranced by the town, which is overflowing with mystery, magic and dark secrets. Lady Hathaway finds herself becoming close to the young crown princess, Felicity Agincourt, as Lucas investigates the strange Agincourt Grotto, a dark forest which the locals spin folktales about.
But both travelers get caught up in more than they expected when both become close to the royal family. Lady Hathaway begrudgingly teams up with pretentious and stotic Prince Agincourt to help protect Agincourt from the wicked presence that threatens it, but is it too late for the cursed city to be saved? And as the Prince and Penelope work together, Penelope begins to see another side of the Prince, which only adds to the questions she has about Tywarchester. Penelope and Lucas only know one thing for certain, saving dark Tywarchester is going to be their biggest adventure yet...
Niccola is a demi-queen undercover in enemy territory. Her little sister went missing seven moons ago, but one lead remains: a picture of a woman's face, drawn by a diviner shortly after the disappearance. Tracking her down has led Niccola to Calis, the realm next door whose border with her own remains closed for a reason. There, the trail goes cold.
Until, that is, Niccola runs into a man in the marketplace who bears a family resemblance to the woman she seeks. His name is Isaiah, crown prince of Calis, and he's investigating disappearances, too. They join forces, faking courtship to sneak Niccola into the palace and get Isaiah's wedding-minded mother off his back.
It doesn't take long to suspect that a common threat might underpin both their realms' problems. And as Niccola begins to develop real feelings for Isaiah, she's faced with an impossible choice: reveal her secrets and risk breaking his trust, or leave him in order to chase down the woman who stole her sister... a woman whose forbidden magic comes with a cost that could bring both realms to ruin.
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Complete and fully edited. Cover credit goes to @CeeMTaylor. Go check out her books too if you like Dark Fantasy Romance-she writes some pretty incredible stuff!
Comments and critiques are both welcome and appreciated. I write characters from many different backgrounds, with many different experiences. If you share those traits and find that I have misrepresented anything, please let me know! I am feedback-friendly and here to learn :)