The Betrothed

The story follows Hollis Brite, a young noblewoman at Keresken Castle in the kingdom of Coroa, as she navigates King Jameson's courtship and is drawn into political intrigue and unexpected love.

Hollis enjoys Jameson's attentions but doubts his seriousness, noting he has cycled through at least seven girls. Her closest friend and unofficial lady-in-waiting, Delia Grace, insists Hollis has a real chance at becoming queen, but Hollis's mother dismisses the idea, calling her daughter not "queen material" (4). When Jameson invites Hollis on a royal river excursion, his interest sharpens: He hints at marriage and sends a note the next morning addressing Hollis as "its queen" (16). However, after Hollis playfully flings berries at a fellow courtier, Nora, and topples into the river during the outing, the lords on the privy council disapprove of her behavior.

Hollis begins building favor at court. She persuades Jameson to approve a road survey at the request of Lord Seema, a council member, who agrees to speak well of her in return. When her parents try to banish Delia Grace, whose reputation was ruined by her father's scandalous divorce, Hollis appeals to Jameson, who overrides them.

A turning point arrives when the Eastoffe family, nobles who have fled the neighboring kingdom of Isolte, seeks sanctuary in Coroa. Lord Dashiell Eastoffe presents himself with his wife, Lady Eastoffe, and their four children: Silas, Sullivan, Scarlet, and young Saul. Silas, the eldest, offers Jameson a golden sword he forged himself. When Jameson asks Hollis to decide the family's fate, she recommends they stay. During this audience, Hollis finds herself captivated by Silas's striking blue eyes. Shortly after, Jameson shows Hollis the Crown of Estus, forged for the first Barclay king, and offers her the queen's jewels. In private, they share their first kiss, and Jameson tells Hollis he wants her as his bride but asks her to keep it secret while he persuades the lords.

As preparations intensify for a state visit from King Quinten of Isolte, Hollis grows closer to the Eastoffes, admiring Silas's working hands and open demeanor during their hallway encounters. Jameson, furious that Quinten has decided to bring Queen Valentina, moves Hollis into the queen's apartments and orders Lady Eastoffe to train her in Isolten manners. Lady Eastoffe warns that Quinten is dangerous and paranoid; his only heir, the sickly Prince Hadrian, leaves the Isolten succession precarious. Overwhelmed one night, Hollis finds Silas in the Great Room, and they share a candid conversation about their fears; she impulsively takes his hand.

The state visit proves difficult. Valentina refuses to speak to Hollis on grounds of protocol. Etan Northcott, the Eastoffes' cousin who arrived with the Isolten delegation, calls Hollis "an ornament" (118), accusing her of knowing nothing about politics. At the tournament, Silas refuses to wear either nation's colors, enraging Quinten. To repair the damage, Hollis orchestrates a peace gesture: She and Valentina swap national colors and present golden crowns forged by the Eastoffes to both kings. The court applauds, and negotiations resume. After the feast, Silas asks Hollis to dance, and afterward they slip into an empty hallway and share a stolen kiss. Hollis, stricken with guilt, rushes back to Jameson.

Over the following days, Hollis wins Valentina's trust. Valentina breaks down, revealing she may be pregnant but has already lost two babies. She confesses that Quinten controls her movements and she has no allies. Alluding to the murder of her parents, she warns that "if I don't produce an heir, it's probably only a matter of time" (176). Hollis seeks out Silas, who explains the Darkest Knights, a shadowy group that destroys anyone who opposes the Isolten crown. Silas and Hollis acknowledge their feelings but agree to stay apart, sharing a second, anguished kiss they vow will be their last.

Jameson and Quinten finalize a marriage contract promising Hollis and Jameson's eldest daughter to Prince Hadrian's eldest son. Hollis is horrified; Jameson dismisses her concern, declaring that any children they have are "arrows in my quiver" (195). When Hollis confides her doubts about becoming queen, Delia Grace erupts, revealing she had planned to catch Jameson's eye the night Hollis fell into his arms. She deliberately let go during their spinning dance, but Hollis fell into the king instead. Delia Grace speaks four languages and has studied extensively, believing herself more suited for queenship, and warns that abandoning the match would destroy them both. Shaken, Hollis agrees to proceed. Word arrives that Jameson plans to propose on Crowning Day, the annual holiday celebrating the Barclay dynasty.

On Crowning Day, Hollis rejects Jameson's elaborate crowns and wears a crown of flowers, a nod to a private exchange with Silas, who once asked if she would trade a gold crown for one of flowers. She escapes the ceremony and finds Silas outside. He gives her a citrine brooch and begs her to leave with his family. Hollis agrees, then returns inside and tells Jameson she cannot accept his proposal. She tells Delia Grace, "Now's your chance" (230), and rides into the night with Silas, her flower crown flying off into the dark.

At the Eastoffes' country manor, Abicrest, Hollis's parents demand she return to Jameson. When she refuses, her father locks her out. Lady Eastoffe welcomes Hollis as a daughter. Delia Grace writes to confirm she has taken Hollis's place beside the king; Valentina reveals in code that she has lost her third pregnancy. Silas and Hollis marry in a small ceremony. Lady Eastoffe gives Hollis the Eastoffe sapphire ring and reveals the family's secret. The Eastoffes descend from Auberon, the fifth-born child of Jedreck the Great, who founded the Isolten royal line. They are one of only two remaining families with royal Isolten blood, which is why Quinten considers them a threat.

During the wedding reception, masked horsemen storm the manor. The Darkest Knights slaughter nearly everyone inside: Silas, Sullivan, Saul, Lord Eastoffe, Hollis's parents, and neighboring guests. They set the manor ablaze. Scarlet survives because an attacker inexplicably threw her outside. Hollis enters the burning building long enough to see Saul's body before smoke forces her back. The three survivors walk through the night to Varinger Hall, the Brite family estate Hollis now inherits as the sole remaining Brite.

Lady Eastoffe explains that Quinten has been systematically eliminating rival bloodlines to secure his faltering dynasty. With the Eastoffe men dead, the male line has ended. She decides she and Scarlet must return to Isolte to swear loyalty to Quinten, hoping to protect Hollis. Jameson sends Hollis a widow's annuity and invites her to court. Hollis visits Silas's grave to say farewell.

When Etan arrives to escort Lady Eastoffe and Scarlet to Isolte, Hollis prepares to say goodbye. Just after the carriage departs, she feels a familiar tugging in her chest. She saddles her horse and rides after them, declaring herself an Eastoffe and refusing to abandon her family. Lady Eastoffe relents. The novel ends as they cross the Isolten border, where soldiers remark that Coroa's king has gone mad since a girl rejected him. Hollis keeps silent about her identity and rides into the unknown, the tugging in her heart finally calmed.