Prologue

A betrothal between two powerful and old Houses promised to bring peace to a fractured realm. But peace is an illusion cast by men with tongues as sharp as the swords which built their House name.
Emerick Blackwell's future was decided for him: a life bound by duty, an arranged marriage and a legacy he never asked for. As he and his family prepare for a long journey to the King's court, hidden truths follow in their shadows. Oriel's secrets, his tangled past, and the late return of his brother from the heart of a cursed forest could unravel it all.
When the past comes to haunt them in ways they can't foresee, the game of power becomes more dangerous than ever.