Bounded by duty
- Reads 41,709
- Votes 1,542
- Parts 65
Ongoing2h 1m
Last published Thu, Apr 30, 2026
She was born with a crown, raised in luxury, and known for her fire-bold, reckless, and anything but obedient. Princess Aurelia has never needed anyone to watch over her... until her defiance forces the king's hand.
He is the kingdom's most trusted knight. Loyal, silent, deadly-and now, bound by duty to guard the one person who refuses to be guarded.
He swore an oath to protect her, not love her.
She swore she'd never let him in.
But when shadows rise within the palace walls, and loyalty is tested beyond the blade, the line between duty and desire begins to blur.
He carries a sword at her side, but never a crown on his head.
Because some hearts are not meant to be held-only protected.
(CC) Attrib. NonComm. ShareAlike
#852
royalromance
Join the largest storytelling communityGet personalized story recommendations, save your favourites to your library, and comment and vote to grow your community.
You may also like
His Last Vow
"If they dare take you from me, I will burn every crown, every kingdom, until nothing remains but what is mine." . . . . . . Seraphine Valemont has lived her life in gilded cages - trained to obey, to marry, to be the perfect heir. Her destiny is a royal marriage to Prince Alaric of Aerden, a union meant to secure peace, not love. Every choice is made for her, every word measured, every desire forbidden. Then comes Sir Cassian Dareth, her personal knight - a man of shadows and steel, whose loyalty is absolute, and whose presence awakens a dangerous fire within her. Forbidden, intoxicating, and relentless, their connection grows in stolen moments behind palace walls, where a single glance could spell ruin. The prince is polished, commanding, and ready to claim what he believes is rightfully his. But no crown, no command, no army can stand against the storm Cassian has vowed to unleash for her. Bound by duty, torn by desire, and facing a world that will never forgive them, Seraphine must decide whether to follow the path laid out for her... or risk everything for a love that could destroy them both.Complete
YOURS TO BLEED FOR - A Mystery Thriller Romance
Sierra Whitmore was never meant to be anything more than a responsibility. At least, that's what Caleb told himself the night he took her in-traumatized, orphaned, and marked by the violence her father left behind. As the heir to a powerful security empire, Caleb vowed to protect her from everything. Even from himself. Years later, Sierra is no longer a fragile girl hiding behind locked doors. She's brilliant, brave, and heartbreakingly off-limits. And Caleb? He's still the man who would kill for her... but never touch her. When Sierra's estranged father resurfaces-deadlier than ever-Caleb's iron control begins to fracture. Because protecting her now means dragging her closer, not pushing her away. And Sierra is done pretending she doesn't want more than safety. She wants *him*. But loving her could destroy everything. And this time, Caleb may not be able to walk away. ---Complete
Chains Made Of Silk (Completed)
Aurelia was once a nameless maid-obedient, quiet, invisible. But years of servitude taught her one truth: power doesn't belong to those who inherit it. It belongs to those willing to bleed for it. One night, she seized it. She slaughtered the royal family, took the crown, and made herself Queen. The only one she spared? Seraphina-the former princess, now a prisoner in her own palace. Once her mistress, now her captive. Once her dream, now her regret. But history between them runs deeper than anyone suspects. Before rebellion, before betrayal... there were glances. Secrets. Longing. And something dangerous neither of them dared name. Now, with Seraphina under house arrest and Aurelia sitting on a throne drenched in blood, their story begins again-not as ruler and servant, but as two monsters shaped by love, obsession, and the cost of freedom. Maybe she wanted the crown. Maybe she just wanted her. Maybe... she wanted both. ⚠️ Content Warning: dark romance, manipulation, obsession, murder, power imbalance, confinement > More of this chaos? I write the unhinged versions on AO3: sLilith200 🖤Complete
Shattered Veil
When the royal palace burns, Princess Aurelia Thorne learns that the greatest danger isn't the blade aimed at her throat-it's the guard who saves her. Kael is everything she despises: cold, defiant, and infuriatingly unreadable. Yet when an attack tears open the walls between worlds, he drags her into a realm of shadow and light-the land of the Fae. There, truths unravel Bound by duty, torn by betrayal, and haunted by a growing, forbidden pull between them, Aurelia must save her kingdom but most of all save herself
A crown of Secrets and Fire
I grew up safe, protected, adored, certain of the life that awaited me. A grand estate, a devoted father... a wedding to the perfect man. But the altar crumbled beneath me, my world ripped apart in a heartbeat. The silk turned to ruin, vows to ash, and in one heartbeat, everything I knew was gone. I find myself trapped in a fortress in the mountains, under the gaze of a man whose heart did not hesitate to shatter mine years ago.... Whose hands promise protection... and claim. He doesn't ask for my trust, he takes it, drags me into a world of lies, bold betrayals, and secrets I wasn't prepared to see. And the truth? I can't tell if he's my salvation... or the most delicious kind of trap I've ever known. I am Genevieve. My life was safe, my choices clear. But now, nothing is as it seems. And the man in the shadows... he is the storm I can't outrun. ⚠️ Content Disclaimer ⚠️ This work contains mature themes and potentially triggering content, including but not limited to: violence, death, emotional abuse, manipulation, trauma, sexual tension, and morally complex relationships. The story does not aim to glorify or romanticize harmful behavior. These elements are included as part of the fictional narrative to reflect the darker realities of the world and to challenge the characters' journeys. This book is recommended for mature audiences (18+). Copyright Disclaimer © MaryRose 2025 This is a work of fiction. All characters, events, and settings are the products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or real events is purely coincidental. No part of this story may be copied, reproduced, or distributed in any form without the author's signed authorization.Complete
✦•┈𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓟𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓬𝓮'𝓼 𝓞𝓷𝓵𝔂 𝓑𝓻𝓲𝓭𝓮 ┈•✦
[EDITING IN PROCESS.] In a kingdom wrapped in shadows and whispered secrets, where loyalty is sold for gold and love is considered a dangerous weakness, some hearts are born not to shine... but to endure. In a palace where beauty is judged by skin and worth is decided by blood, silence becomes survival. Vidya Gupta was never meant to belong there. Eighteen years old, dark-skinned, quiet, and invisible to the world, she was the daughter of a royal advisor who dreamed not of crowns, but of freedom, knowledge, and a life beyond the palace walls. But fate dragged her into the palace as a backup bride. A replacement, a shadow, a girl meant to be forgotten. Books became her only escape. Freedom, her only dream. Disguised as a maid, she walked through corridors never meant for her footsteps. And that was when he saw her. Rudra Vikrampuri, the crown prince. Twenty-one years old. Cold. Ruthless. Untouchable. Known across kingdoms as the Demon of War. A prince who ruled battlefields with iron hands and hearts with silence. A warrior who trusted no one. A man who believed love was weakness. To him, she was just a servant. Until she wasn't. Between stolen glances and harsh words in gilded halls, a forbidden bond began to bloom, a love the palace never wanted, a connection power could never allow. But in a kingdom where thrones are hunted, secrets are lethal and betrayal hides behind every smile, love is not a blessing. It is a threat. When enemies rise and conspiracies unfold, Will Rudra choose the crown...or the girl the palace tried to erase? Will Vidya survive loving a prince, who was never taught how to love? Will two hearts survive the shadows of the throne? Or will love itself become the greatest danger of all? ✦ Royalty ✦ Secrets ✦ Dark Romance ✦ Forbidden Love ✦ Slow Burn ✦ Hate to Love ✦ Betrayal ✦ Intrigue For hearts that dare to fall in love with darkness. 🌹 This story is for you.
Ignite the Firelight
QUEEN X ROYAL GUARD IN FANTASY ROMANCE Queen Alethea of Endora, a kingdom in the continent of Verenthia, is entering the second year of her tenure. With the burden to redeem the royal family's reputation after the corrupt reign of her grandfather, she must face rumors of the mythical Zyvens, a human race imbued with magical powers, springing back into existence through a series of planned attacks across the Endoran Capital City. After saving the queen from one such attack, Darien Freynard is named her personal guard and swears an unbreakable oath to protect her, and maybe with a little desire to kill her too. Between a queen trying to serve her people and her guard mirroring her every step, a forbidden desire inevitably brews, igniting a fire neither can ignore. But duty and desire collide when one of them must confront the dark, hidden truth that could determine the fate of Verenthia, and discover whether their condemned entanglement may be the key to the realm's survival. In a court brimming with whispered betrayals, ambition, and outlawed magic capable of tipping the balance of power, Alethea and her loyal guard must trust only their instincts and decide if their passion will become salvation...or ruin. ---------- Perfect for fans of ACOTAR, Fourth Wing, Throne of Glass, and Twisted Games Content warnings: Sexual scenes, strong language, violence, and blood.
THE BROKEN CROWN
The night the kingdom of Elaria burned, the stars hid behind smoke and sorrow. Princess Isabella watched flames devour the world she had always known-her home, her people, her family. The roar of battle drowned the lullabies of her childhood, and the clash of steel stole away the innocence she had once carried like a fragile crown. And at the heart of the chaos stood Adrian. Not the mysterious stranger who had once stolen her heart in the town streets, but the ruthless general of Draven, leading the assault with unyielding fire in his eyes. His sword cut down her guards, his orders shattered her gates, and his betrayal pierced her heart deeper than any blade. That night, Isabella's world ended. Her parents fell before her eyes. Her kingdom was lost. Her heart, once soft and unguarded, was broken beyond repair. But she survived. From the ashes of grief, she made a different kind of vow: never again would she be trapped in a life she could not control. She would flee, escaping the ruins of her past to find safety and a chance to live. Not as a warrior seeking vengeance, but as a soul seeking survival, a life reclaimed from the shadows of loss. And though she did not know it then, destiny would one day bring her face to face with the man who had destroyed her life. The man who would become both her greatest enemy... and the one love she could never escape.Complete
For The Sword
"I don't want your crown," he murmured, "just the parts of you you've never given away." He kissed her like he meant it. Lied to her like he didn't. ⚔︎⚔︎⚔︎ Once upon a time, in the mist-laced hills of the Gilded Kingdom, a princess was born - not merely to rule, but to become the greatest queen Aurelia had ever known. Raised behind the palace walls she was taught to walk with grace, speak with poise, and bury herself in the ancient tomes of the Great Library. But what becomes of a princess who dreams not of silk gowns, but steel blades? Who craves not a throne beside a king, but the freedom to forge her own fate? When the time comes to select her consort through the age-old contest, Lydia finds herself suffocating in a world of masks and manners. Among the peacocks of polished nobility that now swarm her home, she must navigate deception, ambition, and perhaps, the stirrings of something far more dangerous than politics. As snow falls red upon the palace grounds, whispers stir from the far reaches of the world. The Nine Kingdoms are rising. And destiny - long buried in blood and prophecy - begins to awaken. Lydia's path will lead her to a choice that could shatter her crown, her heart, and the very foundations of her realm. Her hand is at stake. The prize is her kingdom. Because when fairytales end... only steel remains. #1 of The Gilded Kingdom series
Burning Desire
"Do you think I will listen to you?" he asks, leaning closer, his words dripping like poison. "You? Command me?" Her jaw tightens, but her body betrays her. The railing under her grip feels slippery, her fingers numb, her legs trembling uncontrollably. And then it happens. Her strength gives out. Her knees buckle. Her vision blurs. The railing slips from her grasp as her hand slides down cold stone. The world tilts, spinning into a haze of marble and golden eyes. She collapses slowly-first her knees weaken, then her shoulders slump, and finally her weight tips sideways. But she doesn't hit the floor. Zevran has been waiting. His arm snakes around her waist before gravity can claim her. His grip is firm, unyielding, catching her like fragile glass. Her head falls against his chest, hair clinging to his armor, her fevered skin burning against him. He looks down at her, lips parted, lashes heavy against flushed cheeks. So fragile. So breakable. And yet she shouted at him moments ago like she could bring him to his knees. Zevran exhales, amused, victorious. His smirk deepens as he tightens his hold. "See, sweetheart..." he murmurs, low and dangerous. "No matter how much you scream, no matter how much you fight me... you will always end up here." His eyes gleam with satisfaction as he lifts her trembling body. "In my arms." ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The story of a healer and a killer. Dive in it.
The Veil Between Us
"𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙙𝙖𝙮𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙖𝙩 𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩, 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙚." In the shadowed kingdom of Elowyn, Princess Astra is a flame caged in glass-noble and sharp-tongued. Her bloodline is power. Her future is political. Her heart? Supposed to be silent. Then comes Dorian-a cold, mysterious knight from the banished House of Shadows, cloaked in secrets and scarred by betrayal. Sworn to serve her court. Bound by a forbidden past. The moment their eyes meet, the Veil awakens-a cursed bond that ties their dreams, desires, and souls. What begins as stolen glances becomes a dangerous entanglement. But when Astra discovers the truth about her family's crimes-and the betrayal that could start a war-she's torn between the kingdom she was born to protect and the man she was never meant to love. Enemies surround them. Loyalty is fragile. And love might be the most dangerous rebellion of all. 𝐀 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧. 𝐀 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞. 𝐀 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐞. 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙛𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙧𝙪𝙚𝙡 𝙋𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙂𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙏𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨, 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙛𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙨𝙮 𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙨𝙡𝙤𝙬-𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙣 𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢-𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙨, 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙗𝙞𝙙𝙙𝙚𝙣 𝙠𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙨, 𝙥𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙪𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖 𝙠𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨.Complete
Not Yours To Hold
Co-authored by book5121 She was promised to end a war. But her heart chose rebellion. Princess Lyriana is betrothed to Prince Paxton of Creymont, a neighbouring kingdom that has been trying to wage war for years but has yet to succeed. A man she doesn't know and is now supposed to marry. She's decided to push her personal feelings aside for the good of the kingdom. Her new guard might sway her thoughts. Deep blue eyes and a smirk that has her blushing. His insistence on rules has her irritated and angry, but his kind gestures muddle all her proper thoughts. Ridge Marlon was never supposed to develop feelings for the princess, but the more time passes, the more time passes, the more the line blurs.Complete
White Lies
"You can't take all of us, sweetheart." Valen's voice is smooth, teasing, but the way his fingers brush against my hip isn't playful. It's testing. Behind me, Fennec chuckles, his breath warm as he leans in, his lips barely ghosting the shell of my ear. "She could try." His voice dips lower, dragging heat down my spine. "I'd love to watch her try." ------------------------------- Soraya Cordova was never meant to survive. Stolen as a child and discarded as a mistake, she was given a second chance when the Cordovas adopted her into a life of wealth, secrets, and silent wars. But when her parents are declared dead and the world turns against her found family, she realizes survival is no longer enough, she needs to fight. Raised as assassins, her adoptive brothers have spent years keeping her in the dark, but now? Now, she's in the center of the storm. Wanted by the government. Hunted by the man who created her. And trapped in a dangerous game of love, loyalty, and lies with the only people who have ever mattered. Because in their world, trust is a weapon. Not all love stories are gentle. Some are jagged at the edges, built on shadows and sins, tangled in pasts too dark to escape. White Lies is one of those stories. It's about the things we do to survive, the lies we tell to protect, and the love that thrives even in the darkest corners. Read at your own risk.Complete
In His Shadows
"Some shadows don't just protect you... they consume you." Noor Pathan had always been her father's pride - veiled, dignified, and untouchable. But her world tilts the moment her life is threatened, and protection comes in the form of one man she was never meant to notice. Ibrahim Pasha - silent, disciplined, her father's most trusted guard. Raised as family yet never truly belonging, he had one duty: protect the daughter of Nawaz Pathan at all costs. But when duty turns into something far more dangerous - stolen glances, unspoken prayers, late-night shadows - Noor realizes his silence is louder than any vow, and his presence more consuming than any danger outside. A halal slow-burn where: ✨ Bodyguard x Protected ✨ Forced proximity ✨ Veil & devotion ✨ Loyalty, faith, and forbidden emotions Will Noor survive living in his shadows... or will she finally step into them?
A THIRST FOR BLOOD | BOOK 1 |
No one dared to defy the king, not even his brother, the prince. Alistair vowed to protect the kingdom and the king. It was his duty after all, the sole reason for his existence. However, his life turns upside down, all thanks to a maid. Eris sparks his interest, and when she nearly gets taken by a pack of werewolves, she opens the door to rumors, questions, secrets, even his hidden feelings. As if his struggles weren't enough, the king gives her away to a man who claims her as his own. Alistair's mask cracks and crumbles, eventually slipping off. The side of him he's kept hidden now threatens to emerge. How dare the king give away what was his first? [Update each Friday at 10:00 AM CET]Complete
𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋 | 𝟏𝟖+
[COMPLETED] She can save them all. Her people. Her kingdom. Her family. But only if she marries the king of the enemy. Hell breaks loose when 𝐈𝐌𝐎𝐆𝐄𝐍 𝐌𝐈𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐂𝐔, princess and heir to the throne, is forced to marry the king of her enemies--a man she despises with her heart and soul. When her protests to the betrothal are rejected by her father, Imogen searches for other ways to cope with her newfound fate. Naive and a little reckless, she finds herself escaping the castle grounds to forget that her life has been signed away. Little does she know, she never has to leave the grounds to find the remedy she longs for. He's everything that a princess should avoid--a mischievous, dangerous thief with a sword. 𝐓𝐎𝐁𝐈𝐍 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐒 runs from a life he once had. When his past catches up with him, he's offered a way to get back what he lost: sneak inside the castle. With the legend of his thieving reputation crossing the lands, he knows nobody will be able to catch him. No one but a sneaky princess equipped with a bow and arrow. Only in the night do the two come to life. Hearts yearn and emotions run wild, but can their love survive the turbulance of the kingdom's war and her unwanted betrothal?Complete
The Guardian and the Soulbearer
He was ordered to bring her to the capital. He wasn't told he'd have to deliver her to her death. Lyana has spent her life staying small, head down, hands in the soil, past buried where no one can dig it up. But when masked men tear into her home in the night, Ravenwood burns, and the quiet life she built shatters in minutes. The man who saves her is no hero. He is the Crown's knight, sent to find her, take her, and hand her over. Kaiden is cold, controlled, and trained to obey. Then Lyana's power slips out in his hands, and he realizes the rumors are true. Lyana is not just gifted. She may be the last Soulbearer, the one the King needs to awaken the dying Queen. Awakening the Queen demands a sacrifice. Kaiden does the unthinkable. He runs with her. They are hunted by the King and the Circle, and trapped by a prophecy that insists Lyana's life is the price of salvation. Kaiden carries a secret no one can ever learn. He is a prince declared dead, and the Queen's son. If the Crown catches them, Lyana will be offered. If the Queen rises, Lyana falls.
Guard of the Evergreen Princess
BOOK ONE!! Her voice was quiet, yet she answered with a bold sound as if to convince herself, as well as me. "I believe the love will come in time." My heart was beating hard and loud. I took a few deep breaths in an effort to slow it lest the Princess would hear. "And if it does not?" My question seemed to float in the air. No answer was given for quite a while, although her crystal eyes did not stray from mine. There were some footsteps moving in the hallway as the guards changed. The stained glass window creaked from the blowing wind outside. Rain began to patter. "Then my father was right," she all but whispered. "I must marry for the Evergreen Kingdom first." Updated WEEKLY This story is completed and has 29 chapters in total Guard of the Evergreen Queen is book two in the series! Written by an interactive authorComplete
"If they dare take you from me, I will burn every crown, every kingdom, until nothing remains but what is mine." . . . . . . Seraphine Valemont has lived her life in gilded cages - trained to obey, to marry, to be the perfect heir. Her destiny is a royal marriage to Prince Alaric of Aerden, a union meant to secure peace, not love. Every choice is made for her, every word measured, every desire forbidden. Then comes Sir Cassian Dareth, her personal knight - a man of shadows and steel, whose loyalty is absolute, and whose presence awakens a dangerous fire within her. Forbidden, intoxicating, and relentless, their connection grows in stolen moments behind palace walls, where a single glance could spell ruin. The prince is polished, commanding, and ready to claim what he believes is rightfully his. But no crown, no command, no army can stand against the storm Cassian has vowed to unleash for her. Bound by duty, torn by desire, and facing a world that will never forgive them, Seraphine must decide whether to follow the path laid out for her... or risk everything for a love that could destroy them both.
More detailsContent Guidelines