1298A.D. Merciless warrior Otto Sarragnac becomes Earl of Darkmoor upon his father’s death in battle. As part of the peace treaty, Otto’s long-standing enemy offers his daughter’s hand in marriage…

Ariana of Kenmar faces her forced marriage without flinching. Not because she aspires to be a wealthy countess, but because her beloved aunt is being held captive in the imposing fortress at Darkmoor. Ariana intends to use her new position to find and free Ysmay, even if that means double-crossing her new husband; the infamous Feared One.

Show no weakness; show no mercy. This is the Knights’ Code which Otto has lived and breathed since birth. His father’s brutal death has caused him to question its wisdom, but his closest advisors whisper of a growing rebellion within the ranks of his own men. This is the wrong time for The Feared One to discover his humanity. Nevertheless, Otto’s new bride impresses him with her steady courage and backbone of steel. Soon he is seeking out her company, surprising her with gifts and beginning to suspect that he may have a softer side after all.

Ariana can’t allow herself to be distracted from her true purpose. She must rescue Ysmay, no matter how her heart pounds in Otto’s presence. Despite his kindness towards her, she can’t allow herself to trust the man she was raised to fear. And so, behind his back, she plots her betrayal.

A locked tower　a battle-scarred Earl　a lady in disguise

1296 A.D. Kitty's titled mother is dead. Her father　once a humble fisherman　has emptied the family coin chests seeking solace in the local alehouse and Kitty now works like a drudge in their crumbling home. All they have left is a handful of glittering gemstones　the Answick Jewels.

Jewels which Kitty has set aside for her younger sister's dowry.

When their feckless father loses the jewels in an ill-judged wager with the infamous Earl of Rossfarne, Kitty resolves to put things right. But the next morning, she learns that she too belongs to the Earl. Pushing her fears aside, she disguises herself as a servant and sets out for the castle, determined to recover the jewels and escape before her true identity is discovered.

Guy has recently inherited his uncle's title and estate　a wild, desolate castle reached only by a causeway at low tide. He was injured and robbed while serving the King in battle, and has come to Rossfarne to convalesce. Trusting no one since the theft of his hard-earned coin, he relishes the fearsome reputation reaped by the old Earl. But after months of isolation, his lonely heart quickens at the arrival of a new serving wench with an enigmatic smile and the grace of a high-born lady.