The Tale of Tugarin

In the rugged, mist-shrouded mountains of Moldavia stands a foreboding castle, perched high on a rugged mountain cliff. There, Anna Vasilievna-a princess of Russia pledged in a political marriage-arrives to wed the enigmatic Duke Alexander Bassarab. Rumors swirl that he is far more than a powerful nobleman; whispered tales call him a sorcerer, a heretic... perhaps even a monster who drinks the blood of virgins and hurls their bodies into the valley below.

Bound by duty to protect her family and country, Anna must navigate a world where court intrigue tangles with strange folklore, and alliances forged in blood promise both security and ruin. Shadows lurk in the echoing corridors, secrets wait behind barred doors, and the ancient legend of Tugarin, the many-faced dragon that demands a warrior's soul-seems woven into every stone of the Duke's eerie domain. As Anna's wedding night approaches, she finds herself torn between terror and fascination, locked in a battle of wills with the husband she neither chose nor trusts. The question is not only whether she can survive the ominous castle and its master, but whether she can conquer the lurking darkness within its walls before it consumes them both.