A Dance with the Fae Prince

Katria is an ordinary human who has taken magic she was never meant to hold. It once belonged to ancient kings, and a bloodthirsty usurper wants it back before his stolen throne slips away from him.

Her protection comes in the form of a marriage of convenience. Her husband is the true fae heir, living hidden in exile, and the match is her only shield against the man hunting her. What begins as a practical arrangement between wary strangers slowly turns into something closer.

This is a fantasy romance with the marriage at the front of the story, so the two leads share a home and a bond from the start rather than circling each other for chapters. The bond deepens from cautious alliance into real devotion while the political threat tightens around them. The tale draws on the myth of Psyche and Eros and on Cinderella.

The pace is a slow burn, heavy on courtly intrigue and longing, with little of the brutal violence found in darker fantasy. The ending is a happy one. It stands alone within the Married to Magic series, so no earlier volume is needed.