The Cradle of Ashes

Eighteen years ago, almost the entirety of the imperial family was burned alive within the walls of the Imperial Palace. Two infant princesses survived, and were taken far away, never to return. Vaela was raised by the Crimson Thread — a sect that taught her to kneel, to kill, and to wait. Alethia was raised by a noble family in the southern sunlight, taught to love and to smile. Now the dying Empress has summoned her two granddaughters back to court. Only one will inherit the throne. Rejoice, rejoice! The lost jewels of Aengard have returned! But secrets run deep in the empire, wounds start to bleed— a course deeper than the ocean — and war is almost inevitable. Vaela came to the palace to secure the throne for her true family: the ones who raised her, and nothing will stay in her way. When a foreign prince from the rival kingdom arrives at court bearing a dark secret, the careful machine built around the two princess cousins begins to crack. As Vaela finds herself trapped in a thunderstorm of intrigue, magic, hatred and duty, the man she was raised to destroy becomes the only person in the world who knows her real intentions. The empire is dying. The fire is returning. And this time, the daughters will burn it down themselves. © Briella Delporf, 2026. All rights reserved. This work is protected under international copyright law. Unauthorized reproduction, translation, or distribution is prohibited.