The Absolution Oath

At twenty-three, Eden Alexander has everything most in Sorbis could dream of: status, comfort, and the favor of the realm. As the mortal ward of the Kingdom of Solta's powerful, demi-immortal queen, she has lived as an emblem of possibility-and for a brief moment, it felt like she might shape that symbol into something of her own. But then the queen nominated her to be Crown Prince Cole Valentine's Bidden-a ceremonial title marking the first step toward a blood bond with the heir as his wife-and with that nomination, what Eden dreamed of starts to slip away: her freedom. Freedom to study magic...

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At twenty-three, Eden Alexander has everything most in Sorbis could dream of: status, comfort, and the favor of the realm. As the mortal ward of the Kingdom of Solta's powerful, demi-immortal queen, she has lived as an emblem of possibility-and for a brief moment, it felt like she might shape that symbol into something of her own. But then the queen nominated her to be Crown Prince Cole Valentine's Bidden-a ceremonial title marking the first step toward a blood bond with the heir as his wife-and with that nomination, what Eden dreamed of starts to slip away: her freedom. Freedom to study magic, as she once did. Freedom to walk the streets unguarded. Freedom to shape a life of her own choosing. And with every passing day, freedom feels more like a distant dream. Until the queen summons her estranged younger son home for what may be her final request, and Damien Valentine returns to Sorbis. Sharp-eyed, quietly defiant, and uninterested in courtly performance, Damien is nothing like his brother or the world Eden has been groomed to serve. He doesn't flatter or patronize her. He speaks plainly, treating her like a person with opinions and flaws, not a symbol to be protected or displayed. At first, it unsettles her-not because he's unkind, but because after so long playing a part, she's forgotten what it feels like to be seen. As the court begins to shift and Cole takes on more responsibility as the future king, Eden feels increasingly resigned to her fate. So when Damien offers to teach her the magic she gave up as Bidden, she accepts. It feels like a kindness. A quiet gift. A rare chance to reclaim a piece of herself she thought was lost. But as the lessons continue, and the walls between them soften, Eden begins to see the outline of another life-one not shaped by duty, but by desire. The more time she spends with Damien, the harder it becomes to imagine herself as queen. Torn between the life she was chosen for and the one she's beginning to discover, Eden must decide whether to follow the path laid out for her or forge one of her own. A path that could cost her everything, but might finally offer her the one thing she's always longed for.

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