On the catastrophic day when her royal homeland was crushed by the frozen imperial armies of the North, princess Clarisse was spared from execution solely due to an ancient imperial law concerning infant royals. Branded a dangerous political hostage, the fragile toddler is exiled to the forbidding Winter Castle, an icy fortress governed by Duke Valentine, a ruthless warlord renowned across the continent as the cold-hearted Monster of the North. Expecting a cruel execution or solitary confinement, the terrified child instead melts the frozen hearts of the castle's battle-hardened knights and intimidating duke with her innocent resilience, sweet demeanor, and accidental wisdom. As court conspirators in the southern imperial capital scheme to eliminate the young princess, Duke Valentine unsheathes his formidable blade, swearing an unyielding vow to shield his tiny, cherished prisoner from harm at any cost....more