King of Assassins - Chapter 176 - 166: The Celestial Mandate Is With Me

Zara Hansley had always believed herself forsaken by the gods due to the terminal illness she was diagnosed with. Every doctor she visited had declared she would not live past her 23rd birthday.Yet, when left with only a few months to live, Zara found out that the root of her illness was a curse, one which she could break. Just like that, she was given a new chance at life—she had to scour the earth for the cure in just a few short months or succumb to her fate.Fate, however, was a funny thing—it brought her to a stranger that would alter the course of her life forever, and his life by her.Born to an ancient family, Amir Frostcrown was cursed to bring misfortune to any female around him. Not only that, he was able to hear the thoughts of others, thus further drawing a line between him and other ordinary folk. As such, while these abilities amassed him an enormous wealth over the years, he was destined to live a loveless life of solitude.That all changed when his and Zara’s paths crossed. As someone that was completely unaffected by his curses and abilities, Amir Frostcrown was immediately intrigued by this dying girl.One dream, one vow, and two curses. That was all it took for Zara to tumble from the world of reality into fantasy. Would she be able to find her cure in time? When secrets are revealed, would Zara and Amir Frostcrown stand the test of time?***“We were fated to be from the beginning!” he amusedly declared as he looked at her dotingly, eyes sparkling and only her image visible in his blue eyes.“I don’t believe in fate!” Zara mumbled softly as she looked to the ground, afraid of facing him and the undeniable truth he spoke of.“But don’t you see?” Amir asked. “Isn’t fate what led us to this very moment?”

During a party one evening in the royal palace, Rachel, the eldest daughter of Duke Ferguson, was reproached by Prince Elliot for sins she didn’t remember committing and their engagement was abandoned. Rachel informed everyone she had not committed the acts they were accusing her of, but she was dragged away out of the party venue and thrown into the palace dungeon.

She has been drawn into the life of the phoenix, such fate – “The Emperor Swallow”, but few days later she married the Prime Minister; she possesses beauty that overthrows cities and ruins states but also has a talented and virtuous mind, yet her husband is deeply in love with the Emperor’s doted consort. On their wedding night, his face filled with guilt, says to her: Apart from love, I can give you anything……

Though deep in nobility, her life is not monotonous, to pick up the new number one scholar from within the imperial palace, to rescue the Nu clan’s prince in the back alleys, and with the young general falling off the cliff, with the Emperor engaging in a battle of wits over the inner palace…….

Many men were unable to conquer her beauty and wisdom, yet when trying to win the beauty, they cannot let go of their plundering desires in lust for power. Within the imperial court, there is an underlying turbulence of disputing fronts. On the battlefield, there is the slaughtering of armoured cavalry……the tender grace of a beauty, hearts fuelled with lust for power, which is it that is the burial of such heroes?

Troubled times since the war, they survive in this strife, fighting to dominate this world, seizing the beauty that overthrows cities and ruin states……

The world, because of this beauty, is in chaos; but who is it that this beauty charmingly smiles at?

A conversation with a handsome stranger leaves Ariane chained in a cellar with a strange affliction. She soon discovers that the darkness of the nineteenth century’s Deep South hides many dangers. Mages, wolf shifters and the humans who hunt them play a risky game where to stumble is to die, all under the amused gaze of the apex predators of the supernatural world: vampires.

It is never healthy to attract the gaze of the aristocracy of the night. It takes much to survive in this merciless world, but Ariane will not let that deter her. The southern belle has a bite, and she is willing to learn and to grow in this hostile new world. She will use whatever means necessary to reclaim her freedom, be it guile, charm, or those intriguing new instincts that make blood so delectable.

This is a story of vampires as I believe they should be, with their strengths and weaknesses, with their remnants of humanity and the beast inside. Updates every Friday. Mind the tags.

Cover by Antti Hakosaari: https://www.artstation.com/haco

Special thanks to Svensonsen for getting me started, as well as Omi Nya, Hesketh, Rhaegar, Yaksher, Selkie and Raven for proofreading my stuff. Thanks to my patrons and you dear readers, for the support. I could not do it without you.

Journey is on Amazon, both in ebooks and audio. here is a link to the first one:

https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B08DK6G8Y8

The story probably exists in your local marketplace as well of I can tempt you.