When Petals Wake | Book Two in the Khrebtova Saga

Historicalromance Historicalfiction Christianfiction Christianhero Historicalfictionromance

Story Notes

This is a very rough DRAFT. It has not been touched in a few years. I need fresh eyes on it. I am looking for story detail inconsistency, plot-holes. I would like to know how the story feels, overall. Character development, and are there any "white walls" or "empty rooms" (lack of description). Does the love-triangle come through. Stuff like that. Does the timeline add-up.

Unlike the first book, I have to go through and change/remove a lot of the phrases and translations. It is also extremely unedited and I do try to clean my stories up before letting people read them. Just keep this in mind as you read.

Summary

Roza, the eldest daughter of the Khrebtova royal family, was sent away to live with her aunt and uncle when the plague swept the land. Tucked safely in the countryside, she spent her childhood in the garden with her cousin Mayk, finding joy in quiet days and blooming petals. But everything begins to change the year Roza turns sixteen. Summoned back to the palace, Roza is uneasy about leaving the only home she’s truly known. As she walks alone, singing to calm her anxious heart, a passing stranger stops to listen—drawn not just by her voice, but by something far deeper. Filipp, a young prince from another Rus province, is traveling to the Khrebtova court to fulfill his duty—to meet the princess he is expected to marry. He never imagined he would first encounter her hidden away in a garden, her voice echoing like a dream. Roza and Filipp form a tender bond in secret, but duty calls, and they are forced to part. When they meet again at the palace, jealousy brews in Mayk’s heart. As truths are revealed, Roza must navigate royal expectations, hidden feelings, and the quiet stirrings of her own. In the end, Roza begins to understand that God moves in ways she never expected—guiding her heart, her future, and even her love, with a grace that awakens like petals in bloom.

Genre: Romance/Historical Fiction

Author: Esther

Status: Complete

Chapters: 23

Rating: 5.0 1 review

Age Rating: 16+

Chapter One

Rus 1554

The day the princess was born brought many blessings to the Khrebtova household. Tsar Daniyel and Tsarina Estella ...

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Access to first & final drafts of my historical romance series, The Khrebtova Saga. Each book will be FREE upon first upload and then moved here as I prepare them for publication. Final versions of each book will be available to read here, but also through selected retailers.

Fairytale inspired, but not derivative.
Christian themes
Fictional royal family in Russia
Set in cusp of Medieval moving into Renaissance era.
Interconnected characters, but each book is standalone.
Great for fans of Melanie Dickerson & Jody Hedlund.
7 books planned.

Chapter Schedule: Weekly, Tuesdays & Fridays

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