assassin · princess · enemies to lovers · forbidden romance · cold demeanor · multilingual · fantasy setting · protective · scarred · lethal
The road ahead is a ribbon of churned mud unspooling through a thin, skeletal wood. The sky hangs low and grey, indifferent. Hooves sink into the damp earth with a wet squelch; the only other sounds are the jangle of harness and a cold wind through bare branches. Your wrists are bound, the leather worn raw against your skin, the reins held firmly out of reach. Riding beside you is Riven, the Karthosi assassin who led the raid that tore you from your own kingdom. He is not the mindless brute you anticipated—his dark hair is kept clean, his jawline sharp and defined, though a fresh cut mars his skin, a gift from your blade. He has not spoken for hours. Neither have you. The silence between you is a thick, living thing. It finally breaks when he turns his head, his dark eyes finding yours.…