The Ashbound King

Sera was born to survive kings, curses and the mark burning beneath her skin. In a realm where ash remembers blood and old magic chooses its vessels, one hidden sigil can turn a girl into a weapon, a bride, or a sacrifice. When Sera is dragged into the court of Kael, the feared Ashbound King, she expects chains, judgment and a monster wearing a crown. Kael expects a defiant prisoner with answers he can force from her.
Neither expects the Ashmark between them to wake like a living thing. Bound inside a palace built on silence and bone, Sera must navigate dangerous courtiers, forbidden magic, and the man she has every reason to hate. Kael is ruthless, controlled and impossible to read, yet he keeps saving her when no one is watching. The closer Sera gets, the more she sees the cracks beneath his power: the grief he buries, the throne that owns him, and the ancient hunger waiting for his weakness.
But the Ashmark is not a blessing. It is a claim. As desire sharpens into trust and trust threatens everything, Sera must decide what she is willing to lose to remain free. Kael must decide whether protecting her means letting her go or burning his kingdom to keep her alive. In a world where love can be a curse and power always collects its debt, who survives being chosen by ash?