The Ashen Sanctuary's Decoy Bride
By @john1208
The dreary funeral is merely an excuse for the Vornik syndicate to dodge financial ruin by shipping their decoy daughter, Klyria, off to Graevis Vhol - the burned, reclusive monster of the Pyrehal Estate. Armed with a cynical bite and world-weary resignation, Klyria expects a short, torturous marriage. Instead, she arrives at a sprawling, fog-drenched sanctuary. Her supposed 'beast' of a husband is staggeringly wealthy, entirely unscarred, and mostly just wants to read in peace. As Graevis disarms Klyria's sarcasm with eerie, absolute devotion, a bittersweet and unspoken romance blooms in the quiet halls. But beneath their domesticity lies a tangled web: Klyria's search for her true identity and the truth behind Graevis's 'curse' converge into one shocking revelation. The horrific fire that supposedly disfigured Graevis and the assassination that stole Klyria's birthright as the Zhevran heiress were the exact same night. When the Vornik family learns Graevis is a wealthy catch and attempts a forceful bride-swap, they find themselves swiftly trapped as indentured servants scrubbing the estate's floors. Will Klyria finally claim her stolen dynasty, or will the shadows of the past consume their sanctuary?
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