Tangled Roots Grow in Darkness

Impoverished and desperate for work, young Coralyn Perle (Cory) moves from her small hometown of Perseus to the bustling capital city of Dionysius to work as a lady's maid. Despite a woeful lack of training or experience in domestic service, she leaves behind everything she knows for a chance at providing for her ailing uncle who raised her and worked to offer her a better life. On the other side of the city, Princess Giselle Rothrys lives a carefree lifestyle, carrying on liaisons with various members of the Royal Guard and shirking her political responsibilities. Equal parts privileged and passionate, her world is turned upside down when faced with the prospect of an arranged marriage to the impudent Prince Devayn Gastogne. Between Cory and Giselle is the handsome yet troubled member of the Royal Guard, Anselm Odrin. With the arrival of Prince Devayn, his affair with the princess puts his career and prospects at risk. Furthermore, when tragedy befalls Cory in the dangerous city, he takes it upon himself to care for her while seeking justice on her behalf - a decision that puts his cousin's life at risk. Though Cory and Giselle have faced starkly different circumstances, their lives run parallel as they both try to rise to the challenge of balancing their respective professional obligations with unbidden affairs of the heart. Love is lost, love is gained, and some lessons are learned the hard way. Fate has seen fit to entangle these young and disparate lives - and they just might come unraveled.