Thorns of the Unforgiven Crown *Princess Verison*

Princess Julian bears a horrific, ancient affliction: her heart cannot process affection without physical torment. Every gentle touch, every fond memory, and every spark of love manifests as agonizing, phantom pain. To protect herself, she has built a reputation as a cold, ruthless sovereign—detached from her people and untouchable to her court. Then comes you, a sharp-tongued hedge witch exiled to the borderlands, who detests the royalty and everything they stand for. When a twist of fate forces you together, a dangerous anomaly comes to light. Your magic renders you completely immune to her curse. In your presence, Julian can feel warm, unburdened emotion without the crippling agony that usually follows. The catch? You absolute despise her. Now, Julian is desperate for your proximity just to taste normal human affection, while you find yourself holding the leash to a princess’ sanity. As forced proximity feeds an unwanted spark between you, you are left with a dangerous dilemma: Will falling for you heal her broken soul, or will your hatred burn the kingdom to the ground first?