In the Kingdom of Caldrath there are two neighboring counties: one ruled by fear and the other by compassion. A daughter born to the arrogant Count Halstein is seen as a monster for 'killing' her mother during childbirth. Shunned by her family, forced to work as a servant, she wants only to find some peace in this life. Her family has convinced her that she is worthless, but they don't know the strength within. Not far away, Count Alexis has just taken his title after his father's death and is looking for a wife. A deal struck long ago promised to pair him with one of Count Halstein's daughters, but Alexis doesn't like most of his prospects. However, he sees the cruel way Halstein rules his lands and more than anything Alexis wants to overthrow the evil tyrant and bring prosperity to an impoverished city. If marrying one of the daughters will help facilitate that, he will make the trip to Hillbranch. Chapters broken up into smaller parts to make them more digestible. Trigger Warnings: This story contains references to: sex, sexual assault, violence, murder, torture (physical and emotional), childhood trauma, strangulation and others. This story contains written out depictions of violence, murder, torture (physical and emotional) childhood trauma, beatings This story takes place in an alternate reality, fantasy setting most closely related to our renaissance period. This means that marriage between people under 18 is discussed, class discrimination is prevalent, sexual discrimination is prevalent, as is racism. Dedicated to my writing friend Chris who provided much needed inspiration and assistance in getting this story off the ground. It wouldn't have been possible without his guidance.
20 parts