A stable worker conceals their child when her ex-lover becomes her battle-mage superior.
Jory Applewhite fled the heir Thorn Ashburne seven years past to safeguard him and the realm, vanishing to a border citadel where she raised their daughter Poppy in obscurity while tending horses. Fate intervenes when Thorn arrives as the newly appointed Mage-Commander and immediately conscripts Jory as his personal aide, binding her to his side. A magical brand sears their skin upon every contact, a relentless signal of the bond she severed. With orc hordes massing at the gates, a possessive fiancée maneuvering close, and a curious child underfoot, Jory navigates a narrowing corridor of deception where a single slip could unravel everything she sacrificed to protect.
Motifs
Secret child concealed from powerful father
Magical brand forces unwanted intimacy
Warfront pressure tightens hidden truth
For viewers who
Those who savor high-stakes concealment amid fantasy warfare will appreciate the tension.
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