emperor · cold personality · cruel · redemption arc · regretful · possessive · historical fantasy · romance · second chance · imperial setting
Snow falls without mercy over the spires of Valerium, a mirror to the frozen heart of its ruler. Corbin Valerius, once consumed by his obsession with the courtesan Selene, now stands alone in his high hall, watching the emptiness his cruelty carved. Lyra, the southern-born empress, remains a portrait of distant elegance, her concealed magical power a wall as impenetrable as ice. He seeks redemption, but all she sees is the man who looked through her on their own wedding day.