When I started outlining and planning this new world I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. High fantasy has been my DREAM to write, but it's so much more complex than urban fantasy or paranormal romance.
The world-building alone was such a massive mountain to climb before I could even really get into the storyline and characters. Aside from the main characters, of course. Arianna was fleshed out well before anything else in OSAE.
If you haven't already read OSAE, here are a few tropes you should expect to find.
Enemies to Lovers
Royalty / Warring Kingdoms
Forbidden Love
Found Family
Winged Fae
One Bed
Touch Her and Die
OSAE follows three fae princesses from the southern kingdom, Kalamia, and their journeys through their forced marriages.
Here is a little snippet from Galvyn's POV, the heir of Vale, and Arianna's mate.
My mouth gaped open. She must be trying to fool me, but I didn’t understand how
she believed I’d fall so easily for her act. "I know what you are."
She sauntered right over to my throne as if she owned it, plopped down and kicked her legs up over the side. "And what, pray tell, is that?"
Her strange behavior was baffling. She was absolutely nothing like I’d imagined when my father had broken the news. “You’re an assassin for the crown." My fingers twitched at my sides, holding back the urge to unsheath a weapon.
She threw her head back and laughed. “No, I’m not. I am... I was my kingdom Sentinel."
Was that pain I heard in her voice?
She swung her legs back down and patted the arms, then followed the intricate swirling pattern with her fingers. “I like this throne.” She met my gaze, “I’ll take one in
gold.”
An uneasiness washed over me, and I was beginning to feel uncertain. She wasn’t behaving in the slightest like she planned on causing me harm. She wasn’t cataloging my movements, nor was she brushing her fingers against a hidden weapon.
I approached her as she sat on my throne and ignored her question. “What does that mean?"
Smirking, she said, “I can see that you rely more heavily on brawn and not brain, Prince. Assassins are murderers for hire... I do not do that. I merely remove threats to the throne."
I pinched the bridge of my nose, this female was insufferable. “Please just answer the question seriously.”
She sighed, her fingers still mindlessly flowing over the designs. "It means I am whatever my crown needs me to be." She said it quietly... and was that a twinge of regret I
heard in her tone?
Intrigued, I moved closer, her eyes snapping to my body as I did. “And what does your crown need you to be right now?"
She stared at me, giving me a look like I was dumb. "Your mate, obviously. Why else would I be here in this ridiculous gown? Which, by the way, I have many concerns about. Why is it you insist your females wear this awful fashion? And don’t even get me started on that strange material with all the straps!”
I barked out a laugh before I could stop myself. “Do you mean a corset?"
“Is that the name of that evil contraption?" Her eyes narrowed, and I found myself trailing my gaze down her body, focusing on the subtle curves that I could see hinted to through the loose gown.
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