When We Were Dancing (The Wolf of Oberhame)

Nobility doesn't marry for love. That means she needs to get creative.

They call her the Gladiator Queen. Leyli might be the first female heir to the throne, but she never wanted this - yet her cousin's scheming leaves no other option. Now, she'll do whatever it takes to make sure he can't wreak any more havoc for the country her family fought so hard to keep safe.

On the sands of the arena, the threats were honest. Men fought for their lives and nothing else. In the palace, everything is different. The danger is veiled in fancy clothes and whispered rumors. Spies lie in wait around every corner, bribed with promises of power and wealth. Once, she thought this was normal. No longer. The pampered princess has become a fighter.

To win this game, she has to keep her cousin far from succession. The best way is an heir of her own. She needs a noble husband who won't kill her in her sleep and – hopefully – one who will ignore the hulking shadow of her best friend turned bodyguard. But will society turn her most trusted friend into a weapon to be used against her?

The game is called King of the Hill. The music for their dance is made of politics. Fate may have given her a second chance, but he's a fickle god. For each thing he gives, he takes something else away. These may not be the sands of the arena, but she's still fighting.

The Wolf can't afford to lose.