Briar Thorne refuses to shrink herself for anyone. Built strong, clever in battlecraft, and happiest tending her fields, she has no patience for courtly expectations or polished princess manners. Yet when she is drawn into the realm of the Black Dragon King, her bold spirit and unflinching truth challenge every rule around her. Between loyalty, newfound allies, and a dangerous pull toward the king himself, Briar must claim a future that is entirely her own.