by Meredith Hart
Series: Snake & Crown #1
Community rating: 4.5/5 from 3 ratings.
Marry the king’s assassin. Uncover his secrets. Do not fall in love.
Princess Lilias has one day to pack her life into trunks before her wedding to a man she's never met. They call him the Snake of Vsenrog: assassin, spy, and the foster son of a ruthless king. Everyone tells her to be terrified.
They're right. But not for the reasons they think.
Because Zarek isn't cruel. He's careful. He sleeps with daggers strapped to his body but refuses to touch her when she's drunk. He climbs through windows but asks permission before his fingers brush her thigh. He walks through palaces and slums like he owns them, but avoids their bedchamber. Keeping her safe, he claims, means keeping his distance.
And Lilias learns that the worst torture isn't fear. It's wanting.
Genres: Romantasy
Tropes: Political Intrigue, One Bed, Morally Grey, Arranged/Forced Marriage, He falls first, Forced Proximity
422 pages
Published: 2026-04-10
Publisher: Vestal Valley Press