First

A general sets out to teach a nobleman a lesson, and his chosen method is the nobleman's bride. The plan treats her as a means to an end. Then he meets her, and he decides to keep her for himself.

The book is a dystopian romance novella. It belongs to After the End, a collection of dystopian novellas from the writing team AH² (Ali Hazelwood and Adriana Herrera) and other romance authors. It is also the first project of its kind from the pair.

No names, setting or date are given, so this is a short, focused tale of a scheme that turns personal. Its question is what the general does once revenge on the nobleman and his own desire for the bride pull in different directions.

The novella is only available through a Kickstarter campaign for the collection, and no wide release is planned in any format. Content notes: ableism, blood, death of secondary characters, dubious consent, infertility and violence.