OUT NOW – The Bone Below: A Princess and the Pea Retelling by Sylwia Koziel (@PublishConquest @Bysilverstories)

Blurb:

“Throne of Glass meets Bridgerton in this Princess and the Pea fairytale retelling!”

Each time Nelka leaves her cottage she seems to bump into the same unnamed stranger who teases her relentlessly and ignites feelings she isn’t prepared for. When her sister becomes ill, Nelka leaves the safety of her village to find a cure. Trouble becomes imminent when Nelka is taken prisoner and held hostage by the foreign King and Queen. Their son, and soon-to-be King, has plans and Nelka is exactly what he needs to set them into motion. Each day Nelka spends in the castle with the Prince brings her closer to a truth she didn’t know had been hidden while pushing her further from the village farmer of her past.

The Bone Below is a journey of self-discovery, first love, and learning about one’s place in a vast world.

Available from:

Ingram: https://shop.ingramspark.com/b/084?y3Pkat5OMFNoCdI0tUdc9vWpXESPTRnUNcartojy69J

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Bone-Below-Sylwia-Koziel/dp/196273904X/

Smashwords: https://books2read.com/u/brMqve

*****

Excerpt:

Her sodden dress left a trail of mud behind as her shoes squeaked against the once pristine floor. She worried with each step she would slip on the white marble floors.

As if on cue, Nelka’s face reddened at the mess behind her. In her head, she could hear Mother yelling how she was worse than a pig. Under usual circumstances, her embarrassment would have her rushing to clean it up. Fear was a much stronger force though, and as Nelka tried to keep her pace steady, it overwhelmed her. Her limbs were no longer her own but separate, with a mind of their own. Nelka knew what awaited her could not be good. She knew these could be some of her last moments; she might never experience the sun on her face again, the brisk wind brushing against her cheeks. Yet, her feet kept moving because she could never say no.

She almost collided with the ground when her captor shoved her forward. She grunted as she kept her balance.

“Don’t fall again,” he mocked, his voice unapologetic.

Moments before she had tripped up the stairs outside as the rain poured. She felt like a piece of cattle when her struggle went ignored and her captor didn’t bother to ask if she was okay. Why it surprised her a peasant would be treated that way, Nelka didn’t know. Or perhaps it had to do with who she identified herself as in order to protect herself. It had been pointless, a risky decision that led her exactly where she had wanted to avoid.

Ropes burned against her already raw skin as the echo of her yelp reverberated against the walls of the long hallway, shaking her from her dooming thoughts. As she straightened herself, her mind fully registered where she was and what it meant. Across the sea in Lecit, so far from her home in Lubrana—her quaint village, where her family must be worried to tears and her sister blanched with death waiting outside her door.

The castle’s entryway was more grand than Nelka could have dreamed, and much longer. A way to intimidate folks before they deigned to disturb the Royal family’s peace. The ceiling reached higher than Nelka’s cottage three times over. The chilling, white walls were ornately detailed with amber tiles, while oil lamp chandeliers hung above to provide the barest bit of light. The only source of movement, besides her and her captor’s steps, was the shadows that loomed.

No windows lined the walls, as if to communicate all hope was already lost. That one’s fate was already determined so there was no point in one last look at the world beyond. A cold and eerie welcoming. The columns spread along both sides of the walkway were wrapped in golden vines trailing upward, leading Nelka to crane her neck. She needed to squint to see properly, but images of birds flying overhead were painted on the ceiling, their delicate wings fluttering against the cold stone. A mockery of true freedom. Just like Nelka knew she would never leave. Never see her family again.

Beyond the next set of doors, Nelka knew the Royal family awaited her arrival, ready to sentence her without blinking. Nelka had only heard rumors of their cruelty, but now the daunting interior made it tangible, a reality she had no choice but to face.

Nelka wanted to pinch herself for her outburst at the market. For opening her foolish mouth and thinking she could use her unclaimed status to absolve her. Even if she were a noble in blood, she was not a noble in character.

A fresh wave of tears fell down her face, her vision blurring further with the mixture of rain, but her hands tied behind prevented her from wiping her eyes. She wished Kaz were there. He would be able to undo the vicious knots restraining her. She shook off the thought of him, of his lively green eyes that saw something greater in her.

*****

About the Author

Sylwia is a born and raised Chicagoan, spending her days exploring the city, one train stop at a time. She currently works as a media planner at a large media agency where she daydreams of the day when a slack notification no longer makes her heart jump in fear.

​Sylwia writes all sorts of genres that have strong romantic subplots. She enjoys character driven stories where the main character is on a journey of discovering themselves and learning to let go of the expectations weighing on them.

​On top of publishing her debut duology, The Bone Below and The Bone After, with Conquest Publishing, she is also in the early drafting stages of self-publishing a series of novellas under her pen name KC Silver.

​The Bone Below, the first installment of The Bone Below series, will hit shelves in April 2024.

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