The plan is simple: marry the king, kill him on their wedding night, and take back the kingdom that was stolen from her family years ago. Laurel Aurelius won’t let herself be hurt again. After the pain of a ruined friendship and crushed unrequited love, Laurel is determined to have a heart of steel as she agrees to marry King Kadin and finish the coup her father started years ago.

King Kadin is dying. The sickness that has been ravaging his kingdom has sunk its teeth into him and as a last-ditch effort, Kadin is willing to marry the daughter of the man who killed his parents. His hope is that if he unites their two families, the Heart of the Jungle that has spread decay and sickness throughout Xion will be cured and his sickness healed.

But as Laurel and Kadin’s lives converge, things don’t go exactly as planned. They’re both forced to face the pain of their pasts and struggle to find a way to mend not only the jungle, but their own broken hearts.

Heart of Xion is a standalone set in the Triadic Kingdoms world and a spin-off of Desert Flower full of the arranged marriage trope, healing from past traumas, unrequited love and finding second love.