Damask & Deception (Spellbound #2)

King Baudwin of Breoch is a broken man. Crushed in the height of war, crowned in the face of treason and turmoil, he fights to save his kingdom. Hoping to stave off rebellion, he reluctantly agrees to marry the daughter of his main opposition. But travelling in disguise, he comes to realise his future bride may be even less inclined to marry than he is.

Rhiannon is hiding from the world. Haunted by the demons of her past, the last thing she needs is to be dragged from the shadows to marry a stranger. Refusing to play as a political pawn, she grudgingly agrees to leave the safety she's found in the Swamps of Lyndor to confront her parents. Against her better judgement, Rhiannon finds herself warming to the company of the knight escorting her.

Together, they must face their past. To survive the misery and destruction that have pervaded their worlds, they must learn to trust again. Not a simple task when their relationship is filled with lies and deception from the very start.

- 2nd Place Virginia Awards (Fantasy)