The Iron Oath

THE IRON OATHAn Epic Historical Fantasy of War, Honor, and a Forbidden Bond Between Two Warring Worldsby Cassia SterlingHOOKThree hundred years ago, an empire and a confederation of free tribes forged a peace and broke it in half. Now the war has returned - and the only way to end it forever runs straight through the hearts of two people sworn to be enemies.BLURBLegate Corvin Aurelis has spent eleven years learning that honor and victory rarely survive the same battlefield. When his legion crosses into the contested Greywood March, he expects blood, glory, and the slow grind of a war his empire has fought for two centuries. He does not expect Rhoswyn Dael - a warrior and oath-keeper's heir whose blade nearly finds his throat on a bridge over the Solan River, and whose captured presence in his camp will unravel everything he thought he understood about his enemy, his empire, and himself.As a manufactured war spirals toward catastrophe at the hands of a ruthless senator and an ambitious warlord, Corvin and Rhoswyn uncover a secret older than either of their peoples: a shattered iron collar, broken in two by their ancestors, and a prophecy that says the endless cycle of war can only end when both halves are freely - not forcibly - rejoined. But an ancient hunger has been waiting three centuries for exactly this chance to feed on betrayal, and reuniting the Oath the wrong way could unleash something far worse than war.Torn between duty and desire, empire and honor, Corvin and Rhoswyn must decide whether trust between sworn enemies can survive treachery, temptation, and the weight of history itself - before the fire that once burned a temple to the ground rises to consume everything they've built.A sweeping historical fantasy of battlefield strategy, political betrayal, and a slow-burn romance between two warriors bound by an ancient promise neither of them chose - but both must keep.PERFECT FOR readers who love:- Epic historical fantasy with a subtle, ancient magic system- Enemies-to-lovers romance with real battlefield stakes- Strong, capable heroines who lead as well as they fight- Political intrigue, betrayal, and courtroom-style reveals- Clean romance (fade-to-black) inside a war-torn epicBONUS: Includes a glossary of the Vaerian Empire and Dunhollow Confederation's key terms, ranks, and clans - perfect for readers who love building a mental map of a new world.Two warring peoples. One broken promise. A love neither side was ever meant to allow.