The Crown We Never Chose

She crossed an ocean to escape the crown. She never expected the past to follow her. At twenty-two, Crown Princess Emilia of Valeria wants something she has never truly had: a normal life. At Yale, hidden behind the name Eleanor Varenne, she finally has the chance to be just another student. No palace walls. No royal duties. No future mapped out by a centuries-old monarchy. With her cousin and best friend Victoria beside her, Emilia intends to study, keep her identity secret, and enjoy three years of freedom before returning home to the life waiting for her. Then she meets Nate Bennet. An art student with paint on his hands, no patience for appearances, and absolutely no idea that the girl he teasingly calls Princess actually is one. And then there is Noah Revel. A fellow Valerian whose name she recognizes, whose past is strangely difficult to pin down—and whose presence feels familiar in a way neither of them can explain. As friendships deepen, attraction grows, and secrets begin to collide, the life Emilia left behind refuses to stay an ocean away. Because Valeria has a long memory. And some truths buried by the Crown were never meant to stay buried forever. Love was never part of the plan. Neither was discovering that the future of a kingdom may depend on secrets from its past.

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