♦YOU MUST HAVE READ THE PREQUEL, THE GOLDEN DUCHESS, TO READ THIS BOOK!♦
BEWARE--spoilers in this blurb, for those who have not read previous books! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
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The world is upside down, and those you thought you knew... you no longer...
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A gentle thud beneath the wheels stirred Prudence from her deep sleep. After their quick pit-stop in the middle of the night for a bite to eat, she'd allowed herself a moment to close her eyes—but that moment transformed into a fit of nightmares she couldn't wake from, until now.
As she blinked, regaining her bearings, soft daylight poured in from the windows; someone had pinned the flaps up to let the day in.
"Prudence," said Romain, his voice too chipper for her liking. "We have arrived in Westten!"
Rubbing her eyes, she stretched and leaned closer to the window. They were on the bridge Romain and his squire had described. She saw weathered stone fences, about hip-height, that rose to the left of the carriage. Farther below, she noticed worn-down rooftops, sky-scraping trees, and pebbled streets loaded with townsfolk.
"Is that the West Side?" She couldn't take her gaze off the sights as their transport inclined upward, tilting her back into her seat. She gritted her teeth and moved to the window again.
Romain joined her, stable despite the carriage's wobbling. He was used to the rocky ride, used to the bustling city sounds, used to the sight of old buildings and passages that made up his town.
"It is."
Leaning farther out the window—and dangerously adjacent to the stone wall separating her from the drop into the West Side—Prudence yearned to see the castle. Romain claimed it was one of the largest and most beautiful in Europe, but she wished to prove him wrong. Torrinni Castle was more impressive, more imposing, she had no doubt.
Yet when she identified her new home up ahead, its walls a shiny ivory that glowed in the morning sun, her jaw dropped. It was massive; a towering structure the likes of which she'd never seen, not even in her dreams. It had to be four or five stories tall, with a grand observation tower at its top, lustrous balconies surrounding its lower levels, and intricately patterned windows that over-viewed the famous Westten cliff.
The steep rock holding the building up loomed over both sides of the city, tempting inhabitants to scale its slippery, sharp edges, to climb up to the royals.
The bridge continued to slant upwards as they rode on, but Prudence couldn't return inside the vehicle. Her breath caught in her throat as she watched the castle grow bigger by the minute, getting closer by the second. It felt like hours had passed before they were close enough for her to gather more intricate details, like the fairytale arches, the glistening roof tiles, and the snow piled up under balustrades, sparkling in sunlight.
She spotted the enormous gate that would lead them into the courtyard, and beyond it she detected a giant, dark oak door. It opened, and a few individuals in uniforms poured out, grouping together, waiting for their King to return.
She slumped back into her spot, and Romain clapped his page on the shoulder, rousing him from a half-slumber.
"From the look on your face, I suspect you are impressed?" Prudence nodded. "I told you! Is it not better than your puny Torrinni Castle?"
