A Drop of Honey

Third born. Third place.

Bee Briarlocke has had the near perfect life, growing up at her seaside cottage with her three siblings and parents. Life couldn't get better, except for the fact that she's cursed. All of her siblings are, in fact. Bee's curse is that she's the third born - and is constantly reminded of it. Never in her life has she been first in cards, childhood games, or among her siblings. She simply can't be first. Oh, and Bee can also influence bees - but she doesn't like sharing that fact.

Yet when she comes across her eldest sister, Owl, wounded in a recent battle, Bee realizes there's more to her curse. Bee figures out not only is her mother the princess of the kingdom Travesty, her mother had been in hiding for the past twenty-five years to protect herself from her father, King Eidin Vale. Long ago, her mother made a deal with a witch to veil the village from the king's eyes, and now, the witch was killed and the veil destroyed. In an attempt to escape the clutches of the king, Bee and her family run - but it is for naught, and they find themselves facing the King Vale for the first time in their lives.

King Vale welcomes them into his kingdom, with the exception of this: One of his granddaughters must marry a prince of Miin to secure a treaty. Bee knows she is safe, after all, she's always the third choice. Until, that is, she's the one chosen because her two eldest sisters are deemed unsuitable because of their magic, and then there's Bee - ordinary looking in all the ways, and the third chosen by the prince of Miin. Bee scrambles to save herself from this disastrous marriage and struggles to find friend from foe in the unknown kingdom.