A Tangled Web of Truth | Complete (ONC 2021 Shortlister)
authorelizasolares
  • Reads 1,782
  • Votes 414
  • Parts 22
  • Time 2h 14m
  • Reads 1,782
  • Votes 414
  • Parts 22
  • Time 2h 14m
authorelizasolares
Complete, First published Feb 17, 2021
87adultchicklitdualpovfemaleprotagonistmaleprotagonistnewadultnovellaonconc2021opennovellacontestopennovellacontest2021princeprincesspromptromanceroyaltytexttospeech
[Shortlist | Ambassadors Pick] Alicia DuMont is telling the truth. Unless you count lies of omission, which she decidedly does not. Twenty-four and finally standing on her own two feet as a hairstylist, she is surprised when she and her friends receive an invitation to the prince's Coming-of-Age Masked Ball. Knowing they are right out of the running for marriage to the prince won't stop them from having a little fun, though! 

Prince Alejandro has a truth he can't share: his country is weaker than it seems. At nearly twenty-one, his dream of marrying for love is tied up in somehow falling for a down-to-earth woman who can strengthen the monarchy. Hoping his Coming-of-Age Ball will throw such a girl into his path, he's determined to make the most of it. And when he meets the mysterious Alicia, he is immediately drawn to her. 

When Alicia and Alejandro decide to begin a relationship, royal conventions throw them straight into an engagement. They may be the epitome of poise and grace in public, but behind the scenes questions of Alicia's suitability mix with the threat of national unrest. Every day their connection grows deeper, but if they can't find a way to quiet the growing discontent, they risk losing not only their relationship but also their country. 

*** 
This story was written for the ONC 2021 based on prompt #87.
All Rights Reserved
87adultchicklitdualpovfemaleprotagonistmaleprotagonistnewadultnovellaonconc2021opennovellacontestopennovellacontest2021princeprincesspromptromanceroyaltytexttospeech
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22 parts

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The Female Bodyguard

38 parts Ongoing

"You have to stop doing that." "Stop doing what?" "Saying things that make me want to kiss you when I can't."    Becoming the prince's personal bodyguard should be a dream come true, shouldn't it? Good pay, palace life, but the real gem that everyone covets? A chance to captivate or simply befriend the future king. However, for Larissa Fable, being entrusted to safeguard Prince Casimir Hughes appears to be one of her greatest misgivings in life. Refusing to accept a female bodyguard, Casimir vows to brew more chaos than ever, going as far as burning an apartment to cinders. However, fate takes an unexpected turn when they embark on a clandestine journey in search of a missing princess. As they venture deeper, shadows of concealed truths, some irredeemably grave, begin to surface between them. Each revelation, a crack in the façade of appearances. Larissa cannot help but find herself teetering on the edge of a precipice that threatens not just her identity, but her very life. Yet, amidst the haunting echoes of secrets, Larissa and Casimir find themselves drawn together in ways neither anticipated. A stolen glance lingers a second too long and their hearts race incomprehensibly, an illicit melody of emotions. Bound by agonising lies and a growing yet forbidden desire for one another, they stand at the edge of a treacherous and uncertain future - a place where love and fate collide in a perilous dance. ~~~ A blossoming love story between a girl with a radical dream and a reckless prince she, unfortunately, has to rely on for it to come true.    Amazing cover by @tzehleng Pictures used in banners, covers and any graphics are not owned by me, all credits belong to the owners of those images.

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