the Gilded Sails Chronicles Thorns of Decoy Crown

In the kingdom of Eloria, Princess Astrid is the jewel of the royal court, celebrated for her beauty and yet feared for her cruelty. Admiration often breeds danger, and whispers of a kidnapping reach the throne. To outwit their enemies, the queen hatches a perilous plan: a servant girl will be forced to take Astrid's place in public. Lilianna, an orphan raised in the castle shadows, has known only servitude. She never dreamed her life could be exchanged for a crown she does not wear. Trained to mirror Astrid's every gesture, she steps into the masquerade unwillingly, only to be swept into a nightmare when the threat proves real. Snatched from the castle by the infamous pirate captain Kale Nightshade. Lilianna is believed to be the princess and held for ransom. Aboard a ship bound for treacherous seas, Lilianna must play her role flawlessly or risk death at the hands of her captors. Kael, ruthless, but enigmatic, begins to see in her a strength he never expected from a royal hostage. With danger tightening around them, Lilianna is torn between her duty to survive and the perilous pull of a man she should despise. As lies tangle with truth and the ransom stalls, long-buried secrets surface, secrets that could shatter kingdoms, topple thrones, and change the fate of both prisoner and pirate forever.