Beneath the crown

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Summary

Caught between power, betrayal, and forbidden devotion, Kana Eris Delmare never asked to be the center of a kingdom’s downfall. Born into nobility yet stripped of everything that once defined her, Kana learns the cruel truth hidden beneath royal splendor: the crown does not shine—it devours. Rejected during Valoria’s sacred soulmate ceremony, she becomes the subject of whispers, lies, and political schemes. Her once-perfect world collapses in a single night. Now she stands between two men bound to her fate: Alastor Caelum — the charming prince who smiles like he owns the world… and the man whose choices shattered hers. Valens Seravyn — the quiet, loyal servant who has loved her in silence since childhood, watching her break while holding himself together for her sake. As the truth about the kingdom’s soulmate ritual and its dark history unfolds, Kana discovers she is far more than a rejected noblewoman. She is a threat—one powerful enough to shake the crown itself. Enemies rise. Loyalties blur. Love becomes weapon and weakness. And beneath the crown… nothing is what it seems.

Genre
Fantasy
Author
Mariam
Status
Complete
Chapters
43
Rating
n/a
Age Rating
16+

Prologue

In the kingdom of Valoria, there is an annual tradition that is always honored: the Soulmate Ceremony. This event reveals whether two individuals, or a group of people, are meant to love each other; it is conducted by Agatha the Fairy, who acts as the Cupid of Valoria. Similar to Cupid, she brings soulmates together, but the process is different. She sprinkles her fairy dust on two individuals, and several events unfold:

Each person's eyes turn pink, with white heart-shaped pupils, and a strand of hair in the same color appears in their hair. This indicates that they are meant to be together.

However, in some cases, only one person's eyes remain unchanged, signifying that their feelings are not reciprocated or that they are not destined to be soulmates.

If both individuals' eyes turn gray with circle-shaped black pupils, it means they are indifferent to love or perhaps even cold-hearted.

If someone is rejected, their eyes turn black with broken heart-shaped pupils.

These occurrences are the workings of the Soulmate Ceremony.