The King's Chattel

“MY–” her voice was too sharp in her ears. She shook with tension, afraid she angered him, but he didn't look back. "My king," she said softly, "you're leaving...again..." He paused at the mirror, slipping on his tunic. “I am.” Her fingers twisted in the sheets. She shouldn't speak again. She had already overstepped. She knew better. But her thighs still trembled, her heat ached, and he hadn’t let her– “You didn’t finish,” she whispered. Her heart pounded uncontrollably. Aylenna's voice rang through her head, encouraging. He turned. One brow lifted. “Did you want me to?” Her breath hitched. Eyes dropped. “I… I didn’t mean…” He came to the edge of the bed, leaned close. “Then what did you mean?” Her lips parted. No words came. Only heat. She trembled. “Say it,” he murmured. “Or I walk out that door.” *** In a kingdom ruled by honour and pride, A King is presented with an unexpected offer: a treaty of peace, sealed by marriage. His son and a foreign princess. Initially, he refuses, until the desperate neighbouring king offers more, which the King could not refuse. Princess Yseris has been raised for one purpose only: to be the perfect queen. From birth, she has been trained to submit, taught never to question, and groomed to serve rather than rule. She knows little of the world beyond courtly manners and the art of obedience. But Zareph, her betrothed, is not the tyrant she was prepared for. He wants a partner, not a breeding tool. An equal, not a shadow. A Queen, not a puppet. Determined to break the chains that have bound her mind, he challenges everything she’s ever known, guiding her into self-awareness, independence, and strength, even if he has to resort to the harsh ways she was brought up. As war looms and political tensions rise, the treaty hangs by a thread. And as Yseris begins to awaken to her own voice and power, both kingdoms must face the consequences of a queen who was never meant to rule—but may become the one they all need.