Every 25 years, a princess from my Lunaterra kingdom is sacrificed to the Stone Fae King.

We call her the Stone Bride—because her fate is sealed from the moment she’s born.

I’ve served this doomed-but-spoiled princess as a lowly handmaiden since I was five, fetching her gowns, keeping her secrets, and cleaning up every mess she made.

“Tomorrow I’ll finally be free,” I tell myself the night before her departure to the mountain kingdom ruled by a merciless king whose monstrous deeds are whispered about throughout our realm.

But tomorrow comes.

And instead of waking up on my floor mat at the foot of the...

Every 25 years, a princess from my Lunaterra kingdom is sacrificed to the Stone Fae King.

We call her the Stone Bride—because her fate is sealed from the moment she’s born.

I’ve served this doomed-but-spoiled princess as a lowly handmaiden since I was five, fetching her gowns, keeping her secrets, and cleaning up every mess she made.

“Tomorrow I’ll finally be free,” I tell myself the night before her departure to the mountain kingdom ruled by a merciless king whose monstrous deeds are whispered about throughout our realm.

But tomorrow comes.

And instead of waking up on my floor mat at the foot of the Stone Brides bed… I jolt awake inside a carriage.

Wearing her wedding dress.

I’m not sure what’s worse—realizing I’ve been swapped in to fulfill the Stone Bride’s sacrificial lamb role after a lifetime of thankless servitude

Or knowing what’s waiting for me at the end of this ride:

A monstrous king rumored to have never let a single bride survive the wedding night.