How does one choose between Duty and Love?
Princess Juliette Stormspire, the glittering "diamond of the season," has always done what is expected of her. Groomed to be the perfect royal, her marriage to Prince Thelonius Mossley was meant to unite two kingdoms. Yet behind the facade of charm and grace, Juliette feels trapped-by duty, by expectations, by a life that isn't hers. Seeking solace on the shore, she dreams of a freedom she's never known.
Odessa of Oceanis is no ordinary girl. A curious and defiant soul, she's drawn to the forbidden surface, her wild laughter and untamed spirit igniting something in Juliette that she's never felt before. By day, Odessa walks at Juliette's side, intoxicating and impossible to resist. By night, she vanishes into the waves, hiding secrets that could destroy them both.
When the truth surfaces, their connection threatens to unravel the fragile balance between land and sea. Whispers spread, unseen forces close in, and the lovers face an impossible choice: duty to their kingdom, or love that could cost them everything.
Because the sea does not forgive, and the tides are rising.
"There is a charm about the forbidden that makes it unspeakably desirable." - Mark Twain
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The moment our eyes meet, the sparks in the air are almost tangible.
My heart begins to flutter in my chest as I slowly slip away, drowning in those arcane silver seas that glinted with specks of gold in them.
My breaths are stolen away with just a fortuitous slight brush of his hand against mine.
And he isn't exactly in oblivion of the profound emotions he kindles in me.
He is rather transparent about it.
But, he is forbidden.
He is my cousin's husband. The cousin who means more than a sister to me. We are bestfriends.
And I just couldn't be selfish enough to set fire to their marriage that was already falling apart.
So, I concealed my unequivocal attraction for him in the deepest corner of my mind until the night when he shows up on my doorstep with intents darker than the tenebrous night.
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**Warning: This novella contains mature and sexual contents. Enter at your own risk.**