The Queen's Right

By Emerald Aonghusa

This princess was born to rewrite the rules.

 

Sephora's mother, the reigning queen regent, has decided it's time for her daughter to get married, and there's no reason for Sephora's own wishes to get in the way of that.

 

Enter Prince Finnian, King to be from a nearby castle. Marriage would unite the kingdoms and provide a much needed treaty for both. But Finnian has his own plans and his own baggage, and Sephora has no idea what she's about to fall into.

 

Between her impending nuptials and her controlling mother, all Sephora wants is peace and a chance at her true love.

 

Problem is, her true love isn't anyone her mother would choose for her

• Language: English
• Publisher: Emerald Aonghusa
• Release date: Apr 22, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201437329

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

I ’m not interested Mother, ooof. I sucked in a breath and held it as she pulled the laces of my corset tight from behind. 

You had better get interested Sephora, she replied with another yank. I held onto the ornate carved bed post for stability. Mother finished tying me into my torture device and stepped back. Over here. I didn’t have to see her to know the look on her face was one of annoyance before I had even had a second to move towards the large silk contraption laid out on the floor for me to step into. It was the only way to get such a garment on. 

I turned and held a hand against my crushed and sore abdomen for a moment. 

Move along, move along. Mother gestured impatiently. 

Yes Mother. I sighed and stepped into the center of the pool of fabric. She wasted no time pulling it up over my slim hips and dramatically pinched waist. She set to work lacing this one up as well and continued her tirade.

This kingdom needs a king, Sephora. Your father’s been gone nearly six months now, and your twenty-fifth birth celebration approaches. We can’t wait any longer. 

"Why don’t you get married then?" I asked, then immediately bit my tongue. I was going to pay for that remark. 

She responded only with a savage tug of the laces, pulling me towards her with the force of it. If that, yank is the attitude, yank that you, yank are going to have, yank "then I guess I’ll just have to choose for you!" She finished with a flourish and one final pull, tightening the laces of the dress and pushing my breasts to teetering point over the front. 

What?! I shouted. I would have turned if I could, but she still held me tight, tying the knots to hold the dress in place. 

You heard me Sephora, you’ve given me no other option. She gripped my shoulders and turned me to face her. There now, you look like a proper princess. Why can’t the ladies maids ever get it right? 

They do get it right, it’s just never good enough for you, I thought, but dared not say aloud—I’d already dug enough of my own grave for one day. Instead I said nothing, simply pursed my lips and waited for whatever else Mother had in store for me this morning. 

Cateline will be in shortly to finish your hair, then you will join me in the dining hall for breakfast. Apparently that was all she had to say as she turned on her heel and clacked across the stone floor, sweeping regally out of the room and shutting the heavy wooden door behind her. The ominous sound of the door slamming against the threshold sealed me in and sealed my fate. 

What have I done? 

Cateline entered through the servants door and the tension drained from my body at the sight of her. I moved to sit at the vanity table, Cat stepped up behind me and reached over my shoulder for the hairbrush, her arm brushed against mine causing all the fine hairs on that side of my body to stand on end. 

How are you today Princess? she asked. I loathed the formality between us but it was a necessary evil, we couldn’t afford to be caught being overly affectionate. Not that it had stopped us over the years as we had grown closer. Her gentle smile reflecting in the mirror broke me and tears burned behind my eyes. 

Oh Cat, Mother has decided to marry me off to some Prince of her choosing! I let out a sob, my face crumpling into misery. Shock and pain chased each other across Cat’s face before she managed to cover it up with a watery smile. She slowly began dragging the hairbrush through my tangled tresses. 

We knew this day would come Sephora, she said, so quiet it was practically a whisper. 

I know, I replied, dropping my head into