Nikki Jefford is a third-generation Alaskan now living in North Carolina with her French husband and their Westie, Cosmo. When she’s not reading or writing, she enjoys nature, hiking, and motorcycling. Nikki is the author of the Royal Conquest Saga, Wolf Hollow Shifters series, Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter series, and Spellbound Trilogy.
To find out more about her books and new releases, please visit her website: www.nikkijefford.com
AUTHOR’S NOTE
It’s been so much fun sharing another Royal Conquest adventure with you. For The Golden Prince, I wanted to work in some magical creatures. For this, I consulted Breverton’s Phantasmagoria: A Compendium of Monsters, Myths and Legends by Terry Breverton. There is a fascinating entry on the basilisk which includes several rumored versions of the beast. My favorite was what Lark called the Frankenbird with its combination of rooster head, chest and legs, a serpent’s tail, and batlike wings. Several species were thought to be so dreadful that their very breath wilted vegetation and crumbled rocks. As if it couldn’t get any worse, another rumor claimed that its poison was so deadly that once, when a man speared it, the poison traveled up the spear, killed the man and the horse he sat on. I found this idea deviously dramatic. Luckily, I was able to spare the horse, but Lark’s captor wasn’t so lucky.
Over the years, I’ve learned to listen to what my characters want. When I first tried to set Lark up with Zelie he informed me that he was gay. Thanks to Rainbow Rowell’s fantastically fun, and steamy, Simon Snow series, I found the inspiration and courage to give Lark the love story he requested. His younger brothers are thrilled. They’ve had a thing for Zelie for a while. She’s always seen them as youthful miscreants, but all that’s about to change.
Thank you for reading the Royal Conquest Heirs! This saga has been a passion project from the beginning, and it gives me great delight to continue with the second generation characters. I’m so excited for you to see what’s next!
NEXT UP: The Dark Pretender
Betrayal is a heavy price to pay for a kingdom, especially when you lose the crown. But no loss is greater than love.
Alok
Life as an exiled prince in Frostweather is as bleak as the frozen landscape surrounding my prison. There’s a price on my head in Faerie. My only escape is portaling to the elven realm to attend the parties of high elves. They welcome my twin sister and me as their esteemed guests.
When my ex, the love of my life and the female I betrayed, turns up at the same house party at Amberhill, I know I need to leave. Our star burned out years ago. Yet seeing her, I feel it flare immediately back to life.
It’s pointless. She hates me. She’s moved on. Or has she?
Fraya
My glory days are over. No more tournaments. No more floral championship crowns. My life ended the day of the tragedy.
A year later, I’ve agreed to marry Helio Moongold. I can’t live with my parents forever, watching the sad glances they cast my way. At least Helio makes me laugh. But after I arrive for a house party at Amberhill, his true colors start to show, and they aren’t so golden.
Then Alok Elmray shows up. I want to hate him for what he did to me and my family. I’ve tried so hard to forget him, but I can’t. Not even a little.
Even if I can find it in my heart to forgive Alok, my family never will. If King Liri ever catches him, he’s as good as dead. And if I allow myself to love Alok again, I might lose my heart forever.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
A world of thanks to Najla Qamber for tackling The Golden Prince cover with her usual “can do” spirit. This was our most complex design. Naj took the long list of elements I wanted incorporated into the design and not only worked them in, but made them shine. This one made my jaw drop the moment I laid eyes on the finished cover.
Thank you to Roxanne Willis for beta reading this book with close attention to the characters and the whole Royal Conquest world and timeline, which I sometimes suspect she knows better than me!
Thank you to my editors, Kelly Hashway, and Liz Ferry, for in-depth polishing to help me release this crown jewel to readers.
Seb, thank you for formatting this entire series!
I want to thank my amazing ARC team, along with the fantabulous book bloggers who spread the magic of fictional escapism.
Finally, I want to thank each and every one of my Royal Readers. You are the color in my rainbow. Shine forever bright!
xo, Nikki
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