Ashes Between Crowns

Three hundred years of war have turned two kingdoms into enemies who no longer remember why they began fighting—only that they must never stop. Princess Seraphine Valdric was shaped by that war. Trained from childhood to become a weapon, she learned that love is a liability and mercy is a death sentence. Her mother's assassination by the rival dynasty ensured she would never forget. When a fragile peace summit is finally called, Seraphine is forced into an ancient binding ritual with Prince Caelan Valdren—the heir to the very bloodline that destroyed her family. The magic binds their lives together: if one dies, both die. Assassination is no longer an option. Survival now depends on cooperation. But the binding does more than protect their bodies. It exposes truths neither of them is prepared to face. As sabotage, murders, and betrayal tear through the neutral citadel, Seraphine and Caelan uncover a conspiracy determined to keep the war alive at any cost. Forced to investigate together, they discover mirrored histories of loss, duty, and grief—and an attraction that threatens to undo everything they were raised to believe. Peace, they learn, is not achieved through treaties alone. It demands vulnerability. It demands sacrifice. And it may demand choosing each other over their crowns. Set against a backdrop of political intrigue, ancient magic, and slow-burning tension, Ashes Between Crowns is an epic fantasy romance about enemies bound by fate, the cost of ending a war, and the dangerous power of choosing hope over hatred.