Poetfromwithin
Blanche has lost everything: her family, the man she loved, and the life she once knew. Born into poverty, clever and observant, she accepts a position at the young king's palace, a world of rules, secrets, and deadly ambition.
The boy she once knew has grown into a king: magnetic, ruthless, and obsessively meticulous. Everyone else bends to him, everyone but Blanche. She plays the obedient courtier while quietly watching, learning, and navigating the palace's hidden rivalries and schemes.
The king does not expect her refusal to persist, but Blanche will not compromise, will not bend, and, above all, she will not betray herself. That morality is her power, and it draws him in. Every glance, every subtle act of integrity makes him desire her more, even as he tests her at every turn.
In a court built on ambition and deception, survival is only the beginning. Blanche's scrutiny will ultimately reveal something unbelievable, something the king will fight to keep in the shadows. In a world where power is a weapon and fascination can be dangerous, her most intelligent move will be to pay attention and never betray herself.