Princess Aralyn survived childhood in Frosthollow because one soldier defied her brother and carried her through a blizzard to safety. Caelan Stormvein saved her life, delivered her to a new home, and later became the man capable of hurting her more deeply than the prince who wanted her dead. Years after he walked away, Caelan returns with an order Aralyn has no intention of obeying: she must go back to Frosthollow. Her brother Malrec still controls the frozen kingdom, and the vanished princess has become more useful alive than forgotten. Aralyn has built a life far from court, but she has never forgotten what was stolen from her people or the unfinished ache between her and Caelan. Their journey north reopens old wounds as quickly as it rekindles attraction. Caelan is still fiercely protective, still maddeningly controlled, and still unwilling to let Aralyn forget that a crown can be both weapon and cage. Once inside Frosthollow, survival becomes a political game of alliances, trials, hidden loyalties, and public defiance. Malrec rules through cruelty and fear, while Aralyn discovers that resistance has been waiting for someone willing to give it a name. To challenge him, she must stop thinking of herself as the girl who escaped and become the woman who can stand before a kingdom. Caelan can fight beside her, but he cannot make that choice for her, or erase the history between them. With rebellion rising and enemies watching for weakness, Aralyn must decide whether she can trust the man who once left her and whether reclaiming her future means accepting the crown she never wanted to need.
Princess Aralyn survived childhood in Frosthollow because one soldier defied her brother and carried her through a blizzard to safety. Caelan Stormvein saved her life, delivered her to a new home, and later became the man capable of hurting her more deeply than the prince who wanted her dead. Yea...