The Agreement by Strawberries & Cream ♥ at Inkitt

The Agreement

This story contains themes of: depression, suicide, attempted rape, homophobia, stalker, torture, violent death, domestic violence, extreme violence gore, bestiality, explicit imagery

Story Notes

**NOTE**

This is my first novel. Please be gentle ♥

"The Agreement" is currently in the (extremely slow) process of being edited, and I will be making minor tweaks and updates over the next couple of months (none of which will alter the storyline in any way, shape or form).

Happy reading x

WARNING:

This novel is, first of all, a dark romance. It is not for the faint of heart, and is certainly not a fairytale (and it does not have a fairytale ending, if that's what you're hoping for). It's rated 18+ for reason (and not just for the steamy, erotic scenes).

The depictions are at times disturbing and realistic (I do try to add a bit of comedic relief). With that said, there are going to be themes of sexual assault, suicide, violence, gore, abuse and homophobia, but I'll give you a head's up when those scenes occur.

If you're comfortable with all of the above, then I hope you enjoy the tale of Arienna and Thaddeus as their adventure unfolds.

I look forward to sailing through their journey with you x

Summary

In a world where two kingdoms of equal mental prowess and superhuman abilities collide, Princess Arienna of Ather is forced to marry the most vile, self-centred and cold-hearted manwhore on earth: King Thaddeus of Dimn. It is said that their marriage will end the battle, known as The War, which had been waging for over 300 years. But Arienna soon finds that she is facing a battle of her own—that of the mind and the heart. Arienna can't help but feel drawn to Thaddeus, who seduces her with his charmingly good looks and heated gaze. However, with the king having the power to control people's minds and enter their thoughts, Arienna can't help but wonder: Are her feelings for him true, or is he controlling her with his psionic abilities?

Prologue

Raindrops pelted heavily on the dark wood mouldings of the coffin, cascading down the gold-encrusted columns until finally reaching the impoverished soil of Ather.

Arienna used all her concentration to focus on one particular droplet as she watched it race the others to the scorching soil below. The drop evaporated just as quickly as it had appeared, a small puff of smoke in its place.

It had been decades since Ather had seen rain, which was befitting for the funeral taking place. Upon an initial glance, one would assume that Mother Nature was crying at the loss of his majesty—but this couldn’t be further from the truth.

For years, the former King of Ather had ruled with an iron fist, his rage fueling the rising temperatures surrounding the kingdom. The earth surrounding Ather reacted akin to its ruler, whose anger engulfed the land in sordid flames and, as a result, famine. The kingdom’s farmlands lay as withered and desolate as a dried out fig.

Until today, that is.

The people rejoiced silently as the king’s coffin was lowered into the ground. There was no need to verbalise their victory. Arienna could feel the joy radiating off each individual in the crowd. Their bright auras illuminated the sky with a sea of light, the green sheen forming a luminescent stratus cloud in the sky. The earth wept with joy alongside the people of Ather, the ground eagerly soaking up the water source it so desperately needed.

Meanwhile, Arienna raised her head to the heavens, praying to the gods for a miracle that extended beyond a few drops of rain.

Her life was about to change profoundly, and it was all because of the hateful corpse now fermenting six feet underground. Her father was dead, and because she was a woman, she would be unable to rule the Kingdom of Ather on her own. Not only that, but the people were desperate for an end to The War, and so, sought the most obvious solution.

She grimaced at the thought, her sour emotions in stark contrast to the fleeting jubilation of her people as reality set in.

Arienna Malik was 28 years old, a virgin, and she was about to be married off to the coldest, most vile, self-centred manwhore in the land: King Thaddeus of Dimn.