The Crown Between Us

Princess Clarke Tauri has always been a symbol - the jewel of the Serran Empire, second in line to a throne she never asked to inherit, trained in diplomacy, etiquette... and how to weaponize a smile. But when war bleeds across the continent and rebellion ignites in the shadows, her father sends her to Basgiath War College with one order: Watch. Learn. Do not bond a dragon.

But Clarke has never been good at following the rules.

Thrust into the brutal world of Rider Quadrant, she enters under her true name - publicly royal, infamously spoiled, and far more dangerous than anyone expects. Her peers whisper that she's a pawn. A liability. A crown with no place on the battlefield.

Until she starts proving them wrong.

With a sharp tongue, secret scars, and a fire that won't stay buried, Clarke begins to carve her own legend - and catch the attention of two very different men: Dain Aetos, the golden boy with loyal hands and a wounded heart... and Garrick Tavis, the scowling wing leader who sees too much and trusts nothing.

But dragons don't bond to pretty titles or whispered threats.

And as tensions rise between rebellion and regime, Clarke must decide what she's willing to burn to become more than a symbol - to become something real.

Because in Basgiath, surviving is a choice.

Becoming fire is a declaration.