The Scarlet Thorn

Welcome to the world of The Court of the Glass Rose. A novel in which in the villainess, Scarlett Blackwood, meets her untimely end at the hands of her Fiance, Duke Crispin Ravenscroft. To avoid the worst possible ending, Sarah Ward must live Scarlett’s life and try to prevent the fulfillment of her pair-bonding contract with the Duke. First and foremost, she must reestablish Scarlett’s reputation and navigate high society. However, Scarlett quickly learns that this novel has thoughts of its own and it won’t let her escape its plot that easily.

Meet Scarlett Blackwood

A young woman at the ripe age of 23, Scarlett was born as the second child to the Blackwood Family. Her father, Elias Blackwood, was a simple Baron whose fortune had gradually dried up. They no longer possess the influence nor wealth that they once did. Labelled a witch and a villainess for her unusual hair, Scarlett developed a bad temper and is quick to resort to violence as her first method of defense.

However, despite her wild temperament and their dwindling wealth, the Blackwood family has managed to maintain their power for one reason only. That being the fact that the maidens born into their bloodline are said to inherit a secret ability capable of quelling the Dragon King’s thirst for blood.

Unfortunately for Sarah Ward, inhabiting Scarlett’s body means that she must perform her duty decreed to her by the gods themselves. Being the Dragon King’s pair-bonded mate only ensures one thing: Her untimely death. So, Sarah must find a way to avoid becoming Duke Ravenscroft’s bride. The only issue is that the plot of the novel seems to be forcing her hand no matter what she does.

Can Sarah find her happy ending, or will the novel of The Court of the Glass Rose see to her demise?

Meet Elysande Lovelace

The Princess of a fallen nation and current ‘prisoner’ to Duke Ravenscroft. She is the original Female Lead of the novel The Court of the Glass Rose. She was the third daughter out of seven in the neighboring country. She was often overlooked and treated poorly by her relatives. Originally, she was to be sold off as a consort to a foreign noble. So, she ended up fleeing from the castle the night before her family was attacked. It is due to this that she was spared from being killed in the immediate aftermath.

It is when Duke Ravenscroft finds her hiding amongst the horses within the stables that he decides to take pity on her. He is unaware that she is the last living princess of the nation he was sent to defeat and thinks that she’s just a beautiful but terrified woman. So he opts to spare her life.

Thus, Elysande is brought back to Duke Ravenscroft’s estate, where he simply tells her to live the life that she wishes. Originally she was to be treated as a guest but eventually the servants of the Ravenscroft estate begin to treat Elysande as if she is to be the new head lady of the household.

When Scarlett finally arrives at the estate, Elysande begins to question her place in the Duke’s life which leads her to make decisions she never would have before.

Art by Susan over on fiverr.

Meet Crispin Ravenscroft

The Duke of the Ravenscroft duchy and the current Dragon King. In the novel The Court of the Glass Rose he is the Male Lead and his family had been cursed by the gods long ago due to them having violated a peace treaty. Crispin’s ancestor sought to steal the throne away from the rightfully chosen emperor at the time and committed treason against both the royal bloodline and the gods themselves.

So the gods placed a curse on the Ravenscroft bloodline. Once every three hundred years or so an heir in their line will be born cursed as the Dragon King. A being that craves bloodshed and can shift into a mighty dragon at the height of his bloodlust. To negate the effects, the afflicted Ravenscroft must marry a maiden of the Blackwood family. They are the descendants of the Saintess that lived long ago during the age of the first betrayal. Due to this, they’re said to possess ancient magic through the maternal line that can quell the Dragon King’s bloodlust. However, it comes at the cost of their own lives. Before he went away for the War of Conquest, Crispin was unaware of his identity as the Dragon King. It is only on the battlefield that he discovers the truth of his nature when he turns into a mighty beast in the midst of the war.

Now that he’s returned from war and understands both who and what he is, Crispin fully intends on making Scarlett his bride. The only problem is that Scarlett herself seems none too pleased with this arrangement. So Crispin must find a way to convince Scarlett to marry him, or forever suffer through the transition of becoming a Dragon King.