"Your nation was mine the moment I crossed its border. Your city was mine the moment I entered its gates. Your father's Hall was mine the moment I crossed its threshold, and you were mine the moment I laid eyes on you.
You may love one man, or a hundred and one men. You may flee to a tower such as this one, or an island across the sea, to some other world whose entrance is guarded by firebirds and half-giants, but it wouldn't change the truth, the fact that we are inevitable."
-------
In the Empire of Serayne, power is a double-edged sword and love a perilous game.
Crimsyn Arhea, a fiery princess of the Western Realms, has lived in the looming shadow of the Empire's most ruthless ruler, Deymos II. Once captivated and terrified by the boy who followed her through the halls of her childhood home like a shadow, she now faces the man who has become an Emperor renowned for his cruelty.
Deymos II, the enigmatic Emperor most commonly referred to as The Dread, ascended the throne through murder and bloody intrigue, forever engraving himself into history as a man consumed by bloodlust and madness. But beneath the terror he inspires, his heart remains ensnared by an unrelenting obsession with his past and the girl who carried all his hopes in the crook of her smile.
When Crimsyn comes to the Capital seeking his permission to marry, she unwittingly ignites a battle of wills that leads to much more than either could have ever bargained for.
In a world where crowns are won and lost in the blink of an eye, Crimsyn and Deymos find themselves at the heart of a struggle for more than just power, love, or glory. As their fates entwine, both must confront the deepest of betrayals, impossible choices, and a passion that could either save their world or tear it apart.
Iseul had her whole life figured out, from her profession to her marriage, but when her worst nightmare came to life and everything slipped from her fingers she only sought one thing. And everyone knows Death sees justice and revenge as the same.
*****
For centuries the Kingdom of Rosa has prided itself as a place where nature and the arts are nurtured and celebrated. The people who live there are known to be talented and ambitious and Iseul Hann is no exception. Despite her young age, her immense musical talent has granted her a position in the royal orchestra, and being promised to the love of her life has left her with nothing else to wish for. That is until one night everything is taken away from her. Alone and defeated she ends up in a different Kingdom living a life she doesn't want. With nothing left to lose, when her path crosses with a man that Kings and Queens tremble before, Iseul asks for the only thing he can give her. Closure.
The Wattys 2021 Fantasy Winner
Content Warning: This story contains mature sexual content and themes of sexual assault and violence.