A Fragile Peace. The Blood Court Saga, #1

Centuries of distrust. A new, volatile alliance. One city on the brink of civil war. The Citadel, a city where humans and vampires exist in a tense, uneasy coexistence, is ruled by Prince Vaelen, an ancient and calculating leader determined to maintain order above all else. His reign is challenged by the simmering discontent in the human districts and the power plays within his own court. Enter Rhys, a sharp, charismatic human appointed as the Consul to his people.
Vaelen's controversial choice sparks immediate backlash, and when a meticulously engineered rebellion shatters the city's fragile calm, all evidence points to Rhys as the mastermind. Thrown into a dungeon by the very Prince he sought to help, Rhys must convince Vaelen of his innocence to expose the true architect of the chaos: the ruthless Lord Valerius. Forced into an unlikely and tenuous alliance, Vaelen and Rhys must navigate a brutal game of psychological warfare, assassination attempts, and betrayal.
The war moves from the elegant palace grounds to the dangerous tunnels beneath the city, pushing both men to their limits. As their transactional partnership evolves into something far more personal and profound, they must confront their own prejudices and fears to save a city poised to tear itself apart. A Fragile Peace is the first novel in The Blood Court Saga, a story of political intrigue, desperate survival, and the enduring hope for coexistence in a world ruled by blood and ancient power.