Maybe it wasn't hate he felt toward her after all... He wasn’t meant to be the groom. She has always despised him. A marriage alliance forged on a lie. As the second son, Sef knows his place in the world is in his brother’s shadow, and his destiny is a betrothal to a woman marked for Death. Everything changes in a moment, though, when his twin’s wedding becomes his. Lady Akila finds only one thing more distasteful than allying herself to the Court of Dusk: closing her eyes to the fact that the Night Court is making bargains with the Underworld. If she has to take a bridegroom from a lesser Court to secure her people’s safety, then so be it. At least she’ll be wedding the elder brother. The fate of two Courts depends on Sef’s ability to deceive without the capability to lie. His own future, though, depends on his ability to woo without the courage to love. Otherwise, he will always be destined to be the lesser ruler, bound to a tragic marriage. This fade-to-black arranged marriage fae romance can be read as a standalone with its own happily ever after. However, it can also be read as the prequel to the rest of the Cursed Fae of Orphydice Manor saga which follows Adom and features Sef. It is a haunting, slow-burn, fade-to-black fae romance with elements of Beauty & the Beast, Hades & Persephone, and Egyptian mythology. Perfect for fans of Elise Kova's Greek retellings and Sylvia Mercedes's gothic romance.