Fiercely independent, and wholly devoted to her subjects, Crown Princess Thera of Mercia must marry before she can become Queen. But the beauty’s reluctance to choose a husband has plunged her into peril far from home—and into the arms of a handsome rescuer.
Powerful, hot-blooded mercenary Saxxe Rouen has better things to do than fight a crowd of drunken brutes. After all, there is little profit in saving a demoiselle in distress—or is there? His valor should be repaid, if not in silver, then in another kind of reward: Lovely, fiery Thera will spend one night in his bed.
Once safe, Thera didn’t expect to face yet another danger—her attraction to the beguilingly charming warrior. But as a battle of wits ensues, one night may lead to three. And a proud princess may discover the pleasure of surrendering her heart—while Saxxe may find the kingdom, and the love, he was truly meant to win . . .
Good book, though I wasn't too sure at the beginning. Thera is the Crown Princess of a tiny, isolated country. She has been trained to run her country since the deaths of her parents when she was a small child. She is fiercely devoted to her people and sees no need to marry, but her country's laws require that she must do so before she can be Queen. She has dragged her heels for as long as she could but now finds herself looking outside her home country for a man to wed. Horrified by the what she sees, Thera flees into the streets just as a group of barbarian mercenaries arrives to create chaos. She is fortunate to be rescued by another mercenary, who is intent on profiting from his good deed.
Saxxe has been a mercenary for many years. He's currently between jobs and complaining to his friend, Gasquar, about the problems of getting employers to pay what they owe. He's tired of it all and wants nothing more than to find a place where he can settle down to a normal life. When he sees Thera in the hands of six drunken barbarians, he tries to ignore her distress. Unfortunately for him, he can't do it and wades in to free her. She isn't particularly grateful, and there are words exchanged before she gets away from him. But that isn't the last he sees of her, as he ends up rescuing her and her companion again as they try to escape the city.
My initial impression of Thera was not a good one. She was impulsive and didn't think through the consequences of her actions. Her lack of gratitude toward Saxxe irritated me. As I got to see more of her, I realized that she was more a product of her upbringing in a place that was so idyllic that she had no idea what to do when she encountered trouble. When threatened, or confused, or feeling out of her depth, she gets very regal and officious.
I mostly liked Saxxe from the start. He's a mercenary but seems to be one who has some scruples. He could have walked away and left Thera, but the better part of him wouldn't let him. He's a bit obnoxious the second time he saves Thera, going on about needing payment for what he's done, especially when he tweaks her about wanting her in his bed.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Saxxe and Thera. The sparks between them are undeniable and their interactions are fun to see. I especially enjoyed the scenes after they got caught in the flood. Thera's stubborn determination as she dealt with the rabbit, and her refusal to give in to Saxxe's demands were terrific, and she earned her satisfaction at doing it. Saxxe's smug attitude went a long way toward motivating her. I liked seeing him lose some of that smugness and gain some admiration for her. Once they reach Mercia, things between them change. He sees her in a new light, as the leader of her people and how much they mean to her. He also finds out about one of their traditions that has him on the fast track to becoming Thera's husband. The differences in their lives are glaringly obvious and Saxxe realizes he needs to make some changes. As he gets to know the people of Mercia, Thera begins to see that there is more to Saxxe than she had suspected. Her growing feelings for him scare her, but she can't deny them. I also liked seeing the changes that Saxxe made to himself as he strove to be what Thera needed. He also became very adept at seeing when she was overwhelmed and helping her work through it. I liked seeing Thera learn that it was okay to lean on someone else and accept help when she needed it.
While all this was going on, there was also danger stalking Thera. She had been seen and coveted by a duc who has no problem taking what he wants when he wants. His determination to find Thera only increased when he found out who she is and where she lives. Saxxe's protectiveness toward Thera and the people of Mercia was clear as he tried to help the peaceful residents prepare to defend their home. I was on the edge of my seat during Thera's capture and escape and loved how she drew on her newfound confidence to pull that off. The tension did not diminish as the duc was still out there and I waited for what would happen. When it did, I was glued to the pages until it was all done, rooting for the Mercians. It was an exciting and satisfying conclusion.
There was also a secondary story involving Saxxe's friend Gasquar and Thera's friend Lillith. Like Saxxe and Thera, they were very different personalities. Gasquar is fun-loving and lighthearted most of the time. I loved his outrageous stories and the fun he had using them to annoy Lillith. She is a very serious person, intent on doing her job for Thera and doing it well. Underneath it all, there were sparks of attraction. There were several really fun scenes between the two of them as the feelings between them grew.
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