The Gilded Thistle

A thief marked by ancient magic. A fallen captain bound by guilt. A kingdom built on fear.

In the glittering kingdom of Aethelgard, beauty is often a mask for cruelty.

Elara has spent years surviving in the shadows-stealing, hiding, and carrying the weight of a past the kingdom tried to erase. Once the daughter of a rebel executed by the crown, she has long sworn never to bow to the world that destroyed her family. But when a daring heist draws her back into the heart of the palace, Elara is forced to confront not only the throne she hates, but the one man she never truly forgot.

Julian was once the kingdom's most feared captain-loyal to the crown, dangerous with a blade, and haunted by the choices that cost Elara everything. Now, as ancient magic begins to stir beneath the city and a forgotten power known as the Heart of the Thistle awakens, old betrayals collide with a fate neither of them can outrun.

Hunted through moonlit forests, pursued by a ruthless king, and bound by a past neither love nor anger can fully bury, Elara and Julian must decide whether the kingdom is worth saving-or whether some crowns are meant to fall.

The Gilded Thistle is a sweeping fantasy romance filled with forbidden love, political intrigue, rebellion, ancient magic, sharp banter, and slow-burning tension.

Perfect for readers who love:

• enemies-to-lovers tension
• morally gray characters
• powerful heroines
• fae courts and dark magic
• lush, atmospheric fantasy worlds
• romance woven through rebellion and destiny

Some kingdoms are inherited. Others are reclaimed.