Shards of Desire

<p><strong style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)><em>A princess by birth right.</em></strong></p><p><strong style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)><em>A warrior in spirit.</em></strong></p><p><strong style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)><em>A bargaining chip for my kingdom that marks me for death.</em></strong></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>Everything I dared dream of for my life is scorched to ash when I'm forced to marry our enemy: The icy dragon king of Andrathya.</span></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>My father believes marriage can bridge the gap between us and the beasts we once considered allies. We once held soul bonds with those very dragons before a curse shattered the world we had known for centuries leaving war imminent on the horizon.</span></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>I think him a fool.</span></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>I'd rather die with a sword in my hand than on my knees begging for mercy.</span></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>After mere days in my husband's possession it's clear to me I could never love a beast like him-to spend the rest of my days by his side isn't an option.</span></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>We must find a way to break this curse to restore peace to our kingdom. Maybe then I will be able to return to my home and forget about the cruel king I'm forced to share a bed with.</span></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>The king that makes my heart thrum with need and my mind burn with frustration.</span></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>He wants me to be compliant and silent but I refuse to tremble beneath the ire of his gaze and sharpness of his tongue.</span></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>A dangerous dance begins between us as we navigate our battle of wills and our undeniable draw for one another all while unraveling the curse that leads both of our peoples to the edge of ruin.</span></p><p></p>