The Eldritch Heart

Princess Oona Talomir adores the little things that come with her station: a handmaiden, a lavish bedchamber, scores of fancy dresses, and the obligation to win a decades-long war. Oh, did I mention assassins? Before her birth, seers foretold she would bring an end to bloodshed with a neighboring kingdom. Ever since she was a little girl, the enemy has been trying to kill her so she could not grow powerful enough to destroy them. As a result, Oona has spent most of her sixteen years hidden away in the castle. With the war going against them, the burden of her crown becomes too much to bear, yet one thing lifts her spirits amid the gloom. Her servant girl, Kitlyn. Terrified to confess her forbidden love, Oona panics when her father makes a demand she cannot abide: marry a prince to forge an alliance necessary to save her kingdom. He is handsome and honorable, but he’s not Kitlyn. Unable to admit why she cannot obey, Oona does the only thing she can think of, and runs away. Alone and unprepared in the wilderness, she prays the gods will let Kitlyn find her—before the assassins do. Princess Oona Talomir enjoys the little things that come with her station: a handmaiden, her lavish bedchamber, and scores of fancy dresses.Seers foretold the war would end by her hand. From the moment she drew her first breath, the neighboring kingdom has been trying to kill her so she could not grow powerful enough to destroy them. Fearing for his daughter’s life, the king has kept her confined to the castle grounds for most of her sixteen years. With the tide of war turning against them, the burden of her crown becomes too much to bear, yet one thing lifts her spirits amid the gloom. Her servant girl, Kitlyn.Alas, in a kingdom obsessed with the god of purity, she is terrified to confess her forbidden love. When her father makes a demand she cannot abide―marry a prince to forge a military alliance―Oona panics. He is handsome and honorable, but he’s not Kitlyn. Unable to admit why she cannot obey, Oona does the only thing she can think of, and runs away.Alone and unprepared in the wilderness, she prays the gods will let Kitlyn find her—before the assassins do.