Kingdom Dark: Hot Fantasy Romance, #2

By Erika Dusk

Her kingdom, invaded.

Her parents, gone.

Her first love, the merciless villain coming to kill her.

In the ruined throne room of an empty castle, Princess Rosalind stands alone against the man who once held her heart. Tavik has returned, but not as the sweet, mischievous boy she loved. Vengeful and embittered by years of imprisonment for his forbidden magic, he's come to raze her family's tyrannical reign to the ground.

Yet when Tavik appears—alone, bloodthirsty, beautiful—Rosalind can't help her long-lost, buried desires coming to the fore. To save her kingdom, she'll have to confront the wounded man within the monster … and reckon with an attraction she's beginning to think never faded.

Hot Fantasy Romance is a collection of sweet and spicy romantasy shorts perfect for magical aesthetics, Medieval Lo-Fi playlists, and cozy tavern hearths. They contain adult language and adult situations.

Reading Length: 25-40 minutes

Pairing: Female/Male

Spice level: Low-Mid-High-Highest

POV: Third person, past tense

Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Morally Grey Hero & Second Chance Romance with shades of Alpha Hero and Royalty

Ending: HEA (this story is a standalone)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Erika Dusk
• Release date: Oct 10, 2023
• ISBN: 9781738912742

Book preview

Kingdom Dark

CONTENTS

Before You Begin …

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Copyright © 2023 Erika Dusk

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews.

This publication is a work of fiction. The names, characters, and events in this work are the products of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons living or dead is coincidental.

ISBN: 978-1-7389127-4-2 (Electronic Book)

First edition, 2023

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xo, Erika

BEFORE YOU BEGIN …

Thank you so much for picking up Kingdom Dark (Tavik & Rosalind).

Kingdom Dark is part of Hot Fantasy Romance, a collection of sweet and spicy romantasy shorts perfect for magical aesthetics, Medieval Lo-Fi playlists, and cozy tavern hearths.

Tavik & Rosalind’s story is a standalone with a Happy Ever After (HEA) ending.

PLEASE BE ADVISED: Kingdom Dark contains short and non-graphic mentions of death, torture, and wrongful imprisonment, as well as one brief instance of mild choking.

If you’d like to see the full list of content warnings, visit Erika’s blog here.

xo, Erika

ONE

Hazy smoke drifted through the cracks of broken stained glass windows, filtering bloodred light into dim slants that did little to illuminate the cavernous throne room. Princess Rosalind stood alone amongst the shadows, crunching glass beneath her boots as she steadied herself for the confrontation ahead. 

Only days ago, these halls had teemed with light and laughter, polished stones echoing with the footsteps of lords and ladies. Music from the players’ gallery had drifted through the corridors, accompanying the cheerful din of the castle’s jewel-clad inhabitants mingling and clinking fresh goblets of wine.

Now only haunting silence and the crash of the empty, burning city remained. Tavik's forces had swept through the kingdom in less than two days, leaving ashes in their wake.

The usurper is coming, Your Highness. The King and Queen are dead. You must evacuate into the mountains with everyone else.

No. I will stay and face him. By myself.

Rosalind took a deep, shuddering breath as she surveyed the once-magnificent room. Scorch marks defaced the smooth granite walls, marring the colorful tapestries depicting her family's rule. The gilded thrones sat empty, awaiting royals who would never return. She silently begged the gods to look kindly on her and her broken kingdom. She would need strength to face Tavik again.

The heavy oak doors creaked open.