Chandelier

I was raised in silk and silence.  

Smiled for the cameras. Learned to keep my voice soft, my thoughts softer.

Scotland’s princess. Not the heir—never the heir. But still a symbol. A bargaining chip. A threat, depending on who’s looking.

They’ve been talking about marriage since I was seventeen. Talks of alliances, of foreign interest. Of keeping our little kingdom secure.

But I’ve been thinking about Ben Smith since I was a child.

He was the palace guard’s son, the boy who made me feel seen. My first kiss. My first heartbreak. He disappeared without a word. Now he’s back—older, harder, assigned to protect me.

And all I can think about is how easily he still makes me burn.

But he’s not the only complication.

There’s Isaac Hale.

No title. No loyalty to the palace. Just a sharp mind, a slow smile, and eyes that watch me like he already knows how this ends. He’s England’s youngest-ever political strategist, with eyes on Scotland’s future, making waves in Parliament and whispering in rooms I’m not invited into.

Something’s shifting in our country. The world is watching. Some want our independence undone. Others want me married off before I have a chance to make noise.

But I’ve kept my silence long enough.

This isn’t about the crown. Not yet.  

This is about what I want. And the men I shouldn’t.

Chandelier is Book One in the Tarnished Crowns trilogy: an MMF royal dark romance set in an independent Scotland. Expect forbidden tension, political drama, slow-burn chemistry, a childhood crush reignited, and a princess on the verge of rewriting her own story.