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Chapters (50)
  1. Praise for
  2. Title Page
  3. Dedication
  4. City of Mariit: Capital of Maynara Map
  5. One
  6. One
  7. Two
  8. Three
  9. Four
  10. Five
  11. Six
  12. Seven
  13. Eight
  14. Nine
  15. Two
  16. Ten
  17. Eleven
  18. Twelve
  19. Thirteen
  20. Fourteen
  21. Fifteen
  22. Sixteen
  23. Three
  24. Seventeen
  25. Eighteen
  26. Nineteen
  27. Twenty
  28. Twenty-One
  29. Twenty-Two
  30. Four
  31. By Order of General Ojas,On Behalf of Her Majesty Hara Duja
  32. Twenty-Three
  33. Twenty-Four
  34. Twenty-Five
  35. Twenty-Six
  36. Twenty-Seven
  37. Twenty-Eight
  38. Twenty-Nine
  39. Thirty
  40. Thirty-One
  41. Thirty-Two
  42. Thirty-Three
  43. Five
  44. A Coronation Prayer
  45. Thirty-Four
  46. Epilogue
  47. Acknowledgments
  48. Thank You
  49. About the Author
  50. Violetear Books x Bindery Books

Laya’s eyes widened in alarm. She cupped his face once more in her hands, but he refused to meet her gaze, his jaw tautening beneath her fingers. “Of course I mean it,” she said, breathless. “I love you, Luntok. I have always loved you⁠—you and no one else.”

“Then marry me.” The proposal tore through Luntok’s lips like a snarl. He grasped the nape of her neck and pressed his forehead to hers. “Marry me, and I’ll love you the way no other man can love you. Marry me, and I’ll make you happy until the end of our days.”

Laya laid a hand on his chest. She didn’t shove him back right away. “For Mulayri’s sake, Luntok,” she told him weakly. “What do you expect me to say?”

“Say yes. Damn the kingdom. Damn your family. We belong together, Laya. And we’ll silence anyone who dares tell us otherwise,” he said, and gave her a sudden shake. Laya stared up at him in shock. He didn’t hurt her⁠—he wouldn’t dare hurt her⁠—but she’d never heard him speak with such raw panic before. For the first time, Luntok scared her.

When she didn’t answer right away, he blustered on. “In your heart, you know who I am⁠—and what kind of king I could be. I understand the south, same as I understand the rest of Maynara. Unlike Bato or Waran or the other imbeciles clamoring for your hand, I’m the only one who could rule justly by your side. I wouldn’t whisper mindless drivel in your ears, nor would I grovel at your feet. You would be the hands that steer this land in the right direction. And I⁠—” He drew in a deep breath, tenderness momentarily dampening the madness in his expression. “I would be your eyes.”

Laya’s face fell. She could see how ardently Luntok believed he was the sole man in the realm worthy of being her king. Part of her wanted to believe it as well. It was true; no one understood her better than he did. Their utter acceptance of one another drew them together all those years before⁠—a mutual appreciation that stretched deeper than lust.

But Luntok did not understand Maynara as well as Laya. Although the rebellion was long over, contempt for Thu-ki permeated deep into the core of the island. Her people could never stomach a Kulaw on the throne. To marry Luntok would be to lose their favor. To risk her right to the throne. And no love⁠—not even one as fierce and unwavering as Luntok’s⁠—was worth such a gamble.