In Belmaton, a small monarchy island, secluded from the rest of civilization, time has come when King Henry VI steps down and Prince Nathaniel takes the crown. But first he needs to wed, and suddenly seventeen lucky women have been nominated by Prince Nathaniel's adviser to be the queen of Belmaton. The rest of the country, with public podium shows, interviews, and campaigns, will vote for one of the seventeen. But there's a wild card in the mix. Sixteen year old Adalie Leroy has been elected, for some reason, to win a place in Nathaniel, and Belmaton's heart. She's your typical carefree, indifferent red-cheeked girl who has no place behind palace doors. But when a plan hatches to get the Prince out of the picture, can Adalie get what it takes to be Belmaton's new queen, and save Prince Nathaniel?
Ella is falling apart trying to live a "perfect" high school life. Then she meets Ren, who can see past her scars. Suddenly perfection isn't her only option.
*****
Ella Volkov is a gifted music student, but she's depressed and starting to crack under the pressure of high school. Her overbearing father won't even let her choose what instrument she plays. Then she finds herself alone at a party with Ren, her best friend's crush. She'd always thought he was rude, but after that night he's all Ella can think about. Now she's trapped. If Ella dates Ren, it will ruin her friendship with Jenny. But if she stays true to Jenny, she's losing the one person who can see past her scars. It's up to Ella to decide if she will forge her own path, or stay in the "perfect" box designed for her...
Content and/or Trigger Warning: depression, anxiety, self-harm, violence, sexual assault.
[[word count: 50,000-100,000 words]]