In the Shadow of the Throne

Yoon Hwa Jin never longed for rank, wealth, or for her name to become known within the palace walls. As a court lady she had learned that in the royal court, the one with the greatest chance of survival is the one who walks with her head bowed, remains silent, and never crosses the path of the ruler's gaze.
Yet King Lee Do notices her.
A single glance turns into meetings, and from the meetings a bond slowly forms between them that should never have existed. Hwa Jin draws ever closer to the man whom everyone else sees only as a ruler, while, against her will, she is pulled deeper into the world of the palace-where a smile may hide a threat, a kind word may conceal an intention, and the quietest corridors may hold secrets for which people are willing to kill.
When her love for the king changes her place at court, Hwa Jin can no longer remain invisible. As a royal concubine she must not only preserve Lee Do's love, but also learn to navigate the queen's jealousy, the families competing for power, the court intrigues, and the dangers surrounding the throne.
And when her son, Prince Hyeonseong, is born, she must fear no longer only for herself.
For Lee Do the crown means the burden of an entire nation. For Hwa Jin the palace slowly becomes both a home and a prison. While their love is tested again and again, their enemies draw ever closer, and in the shadow of the throne a conspiracy begins to unfold that threatens not only the ruler's power, but everything they have built together.
A king who must answer for an entire country.
A woman who never wanted power, yet finds herself at the center of the palace's games.
And a love for which the throne itself may be the greatest danger.