The Betrothal

Hadassah was used to her life being dictated by those around her, she is the Princess of Zamdi. It's to be expected.

Her attitude, her future, and her decisions have always been curated by someone else.

She'd accepted this.

However, marriage seems to be one step too far.

Before she knows it, she is living with the man who is able to take the one thing she loves away from her.

And so, she is left with an impossible decision.

Isaiah or Zamdi?
***
Hadassah is the princess of Zamdi. She is an only child and is therefore the only heir to the throne of Zamdi. However, the laws in her country prohibit her from ever becoming an Empress.

This is the main cause of her anguish.

She is always held to high standards and finds it difficult to maintain her job as a princess when she wants to be more.

She also loves love, so, an arranged marriage is straight from her nightmares and only further reinforces her place in the hierarchy... at the bottom.

She is infuriated at her father's uncapped control, her mother's internalised misogyny, and her own incapacity to do anything about her situation.
She is passionate about what she wants, but struggles to voice her thoughts and take initiative.

But that all changes when Isaiah walks into her home.

***
Isaiah is the prince of Andrai. He is the eldest son and is the heir to the throne.

He has fine-tuned his act of being the perfect royal. He does what he's told with a charismatic smile at all times.

Marrying Hadassah wasn't his plan, but he graciously accepts it anyway, aiming to appease his volatile father.

As he gets closer to Hadassah, he realises he can't treat this marriage like a transaction and feels guilty about keeping secrets from her. She's no longer an obligation, she's someone important to him.

However, when Hadassah finds out about his deceit, for the first time in his life, he has no plan.

*A novella by Elle Michaels