"So then tell me, dear prince, if you are to be crowded king, why are you here sauntering in the desert with me?" My voice was hoarse but my tone was firm.
I knew I took an effect on the prince because be stiffened, his posture straightening as he looked at the horizon.
"When I become King this will be my first decree. Ophelia will be sentenced for life as an entertainment dancer."
"I think the sun is really boiling that brain of yours..." I muttered to myself as we continued to walk through the sandy deserts of the out lands.
"I am a prince." Lionel continued, "and when I become king I will follow up on my decree unless you decided to shut up now."
"Wouldn't you love to see me dancing, especially when I'm wearing half my clothes." I laughed, the wind blowing my hair in my face.
Lionel cursed under his breath, his words so entangled I couldn't understand anything. Shasta stopped beside me my bag tied around her saddle echoed with the sweet whooshing of water. I reached for my bag but a silver dagger was brought to my neck, the blade inches from my neck.
"I know you don't believe me, but I have to get home because everything I say is true."
•____________*____________•
Dear reader,
My name is Ophelia. If you have found this book then something must be wrong or maybe everything's just peachy. If you need help, flip to the end of this book but if you're here for a story then I hope you enjoyed what you read so far.
I apologize for ending so abruptly but I just realized that I can't start a proper story unless I talk about the beginning. So I'll tell you how everything started, I'll tell you about the prince, his curse, a betrayal, and a love story. But I will also tell you the story of a girl who only wants two things in life and that is a name and a family.
Just when she's decided to leave the Town, Lady Cressida Belverst is forced to marry Lord Calan Haverston, the man who coincidentally knows a way out. Agreeing to marry for all the wrong reasons, can Cressida and Calan find out where their hearts truly belong?
***
It is impossible to leave the Town, but one woman is determined to escape with the help of her betrothed.
Lady Cressida Belverst has always been judged as a walking scandal. Oh, how she tries (on some rare occasions) to be proper! When her parents arrange for her to marry a rich lord, Cressida has had enough. She has to leave the Town because she will not be forced to live with a man she doesn't love. But what happens if the very man she's betrothed to is the only one who can help her get out?
Calan Haverston, the Lord of Easton, takes the risk and helps his betrothed by using his knowledge of the Town's secrets because he is as willing as she to stay free of marriage for reasons completely different. He has dark secrets he cannot share with her, and his life is not one he can likewise open to anyone. But what happens when she leaves after awakening desires he thought he has under control? And what happens when he finds himself longing for her?
Cressida goes to a completely different place, one she has only heard in stories and read in books, with hopes of finding what her heart has always longed for. But love, mystery and secrets will chase her and it will only be a matter of time before she realizes what her heart truly desires.
*This story is a standalone title in the Haverston Family series.