Chapter 1
In the glittering courts of a decaying kingdom, every debutante wears a smile-and a mask.
Leora Vale has both down to perfection. Adored by nobles, admired by rivals, and protected by her powerful family, she is everything a young lady ought to be. Almost.
Beneath the silk and sin lies something else. Something waiting.
When a crown hovers, alliances form, and a certain quiet pair of eyes begin to watch too closely, Leora's world starts to shift. So do the people around her: a dutiful brother who disappears in silence, a friend who asks the wrong questions, and a stranger in the woods with eyes like judgment.
And through it all, Leora keeps writing.
Because some stories are too dangerous to tell aloud.
And some hearts are mean
