A prince cursed to turn into stone by day falls for a gardener tending the magical roses in his castle grounds. Together, they seek the key to breaking the curse before it's too late
A prince cursed to turn into stone by day falls for a gardener tending the magical roses in his castle grounds. Together, they seek the key to breaking the curse before it's too late
Prince Alistair stood in the garden of his castle, his gaze fixed on the horizon, where the first rays of the morning sun began to stretch across the sky. He could feel it already-the cold tightening in his limbs, creeping up his spine like a silent thief. The warmth of his human form would soon fade, replaced by the stillness of stone.
It had become his routine, this slow, inevitable transformation. The curse that bound him to the stone form every morning had not been kind. There had been no warning, no mercy. One day he had simply woken, and the sun had not only burned away the night but his very freedom as well. By day, he was nothing more than a statue, a monument of stone standing rigidly in the palace courtyard. But by night, when the moon rose high in the sky, he was restored to his human shape-alive, aware, but only for a few fleeting hours before the curse claimed him again.
His fingers twitched, but the stone creeping up his skin held them stiff, unwilling to move. He looked down at the stone veins spreading across his hand, the transformation slowly, inexorably taking hold. He could hear the distant hum of the castle, the hustle and bustle of his kingdom continuing as if nothing were wrong. But it wasn't the same for him. His life had been paused in an eternal struggle between moments of life and stone, his heart cursed to love and be loved by none.
His eyes flicked toward the garden, where the roses-magical roses, or so the old legends claimed-grew wild and unkempt. Their petals shimmered faintly in the early morning light, their fragrance rich with the promise of something beyond the mundane, something that had long intrigued him.
A figure moved between the rosebushes-a gardener, he noticed, working diligently amidst the flowers, trimming and tending to the plants. She wore no crown or jewels, no silk gown like the ladies of his court. Her clothes were simple-earthy tones of brown and green, a stark contrast to the gleaming castle walls behind her. But there was something captivating about her movements, something graceful in the way she bent to the earth, as though she belonged more to the roses than the castle.
It was only when the sun began to rise higher, casting deeper shadows across the stone courtyard, that the transformation began to take hold of him fully. The last vestige of his human warmth slipped away, and he felt himself stiffen, his body locking in place as if frozen in time.
Alistair knew that if he did not leave the garden soon, the curse would claim him completely, turning him into an unmoving statue for the rest of the day. But something about the gardener's presence kept him rooted to the spot. Perhaps it was the way she worked so tirelessly, lost in the rhythm of tending the roses. Or perhaps it was the unspoken connection he felt, a pull that had been there since she had first arrived at the castle weeks ago.
Her name, he knew, was Elara. She had been hired by the king to maintain the enchanted garden that had been a part of the castle grounds for centuries. The garden was more than just a place of beauty-it was said that the roses held strange and powerful magic, and some even whispered that they were the key to unlocking long-lost secrets of the world.
Elara was a mystery. While the rest of the court gossiped about her, questioning her origins and her purpose, she remained quiet, focused only on her work. Her gentle hands caressed the petals with a tenderness that seemed at odds with the hard labor she performed, yet she never faltered, never seemed to tire.
Alistair's heart sank as he watched her, knowing he couldn't stay much longer. The moment the sun crested fully over the horizon, he would turn to stone, unable to move, to speak, to feel. It was a fate that had imprisoned him for years, and there seemed to be no way out.
But something changed that morning. Just as the last of the warmth drained from his body, leaving him cold and unmoving, Elara looked up. Her eyes met his for the briefest of moments, and for the first time in weeks, Alistair felt something stir within him-a flicker of recognition. Her gaze lingered on him longer than expected, her brow furrowing in confusion as if she, too, felt the strange pull between them.
The moment was short-lived. The sun crested high enough that the curse took full effect. Alistair could feel his body lock, the stone replacing flesh, his breath no longer able to draw. His vision blurred as he stood motionless, unable to do anything but watch as Elara's form slowly disappeared from his view.
The hours dragged by. He stood in the garden, no longer a man, but a figure of cold marble. The world passed around him-nobles strolling by, birds chirping, the sounds of the kingdom continuing as they always did. But for him, time had ceased to exist. He was neither alive nor dead, caught in the endless loop of his curse.
When the sun finally began to set, a chill in the air signaling the night's approach, the transformation reversed. His body began to soften, the stone receding as warmth returned to his limbs. He inhaled deeply, his chest expanding as his lungs filled with air. He was human again.
But Elara was gone.
He had spent the entire day as stone, his thoughts consumed with her-her presence, her gaze. She had noticed him, truly noticed him, for the first time. He couldn't help but wonder what she thought of him now, what she might say when they next met.
For a moment, he allowed himself the small luxury of hope. Perhaps, just perhaps, she was more than just a gardener. Perhaps she was the key to breaking the curse that held him captive in stone.
And if she was, he would find a way to reach her.
In a kingdom where nobles wear enchanted masks that define their roles and status, the protagonist-a commoner with the rare ability to craft living masks-becomes entangled in palace intrigue when they are commissioned to create a mask for a reclusive prince cursed never to see sunlight. As the protagonist works on the mask, they uncover a hidden world of magic, betrayal, and a growing bond with the prince. Their love becomes the key to breaking the curse, but doing so could destabilize the entire kingdom. Together, they must navigate a treacherous path where one wrong move could mean losing not just their love, but their lives.
Five years into marriage, Hannah caught Vincent slipping into a hotel with his first love-the woman he never forgot. The sight told her everything-he'd married her only for her resemblance to his true love. Hurt, she conned him into signing the divorce papers and, a month later, said, "Vincent, I'm done. May you two stay chained together." Red-eyed, he hugged her. "You came after me first." Her firm soon rocketed toward an IPO. At the launch, Vincent watched her clasp another man's hand. In the fitting room, he cornered her, tears burning in his eyes. "Is he really that perfect? Hannah, I'm sorry... marry me again."
I stood outside my husband's study, the perfect mafia wife, only to hear him mocking me as an "ice sculpture" while he entertained his mistress, Aria. But the betrayal went deeper than infidelity. A week later, my saddle snapped mid-jump, leaving me with a shattered leg. Lying in the hospital bed, I overheard the conversation that killed the last of my love. My husband, Alessandro, knew Aria had sabotaged my gear. He knew she could have killed me. Yet, he told his men to let it go. He called my near-death experience a "lesson" because I had bruised his mistress's ego. He humiliated me publicly, freezing my accounts to buy family heirlooms for her. He stood by while she threatened to leak our private tapes to the press. He destroyed my dignity to play the hero for a woman he thought was a helpless orphan. He had no idea she was a fraud. He didn't know I had installed micro-cameras throughout the estate while he was busy pampering her. He didn't know I had hours of footage showing his "innocent" Aria sleeping with his guards, his rivals, and even his staff, laughing about how easy he was to manipulate. At the annual charity gala, in front of the entire crime family, Alessandro demanded I apologize to her. I didn't beg. I didn't cry. I simply connected my drive to the main projector and pressed play.
Serena, heir to Britain's top jewelry company LUXE, suffers sudden amnesia at the peak of her life and is saved from drowning by Ryan. She falls for him instantly, but even after three years of marriage, she cannot replace the place in his heart held by his forever love, Sophie. After a near-fatal kidnapping and Ryan attending a charity gala with Sophie's sister Ivy, Serena hits rock bottom and tells Ryan. "Let's get a divorce." He replies, "You won't survive without me." Breaking free from heartbreak, Serena's career soars as she becomes an internationally renowned designer. Regaining her memories, she returns to LUXE and gives birth to twins. Surrounded by eager admirers, Ryan panics and pleads, "Serena, I was wrong-let me see our children." But can Ryan truly win back Serena's heart? Or has too much been lost? The answers unfold in this gripping tale.
At their wedding night, Kayla caught her brand-new husband cheating. Reeling and half-drunk, she staggered into the wrong suite and collapsed into a stranger's arms. Sunrise brought a pounding head-and the discovery she was pregnant. The father? A supremely powerful tycoon who happened to be her husband's ruthless uncle. Panicked, she tried to run, but he barred the door with a faint, dangerous smile. When the cheating ex begged, Kayla lifted her chin and declared, "Want a second chance at us? Ask your uncle." The tycoon pulled her close. "She's my wife now." The ex gasped, "What!?"
Narine never expected to survive. Not after what was done to her body, mind, and soul. But fate had other plans. Rescued by Supreme Alpha Sargis, the kingdom's most feared ruler, she finds herself under the protection of a man she doesn't know... and a bond she doesn't understand. Sargis is no stranger to sacrifice. Ruthless, ambitious, and loyal to the sacred matebond, he's spent years searching for the soul fate promised him, never imagining she would come to him broken, on the brink of death, and afraid of her own shadow. He never meant to fall for her... but he does. Hard and fast. And he'll burn the world before letting anyone hurt her again. What begins in silence between two fractured souls slowly grows into something intimate and real. But healing is never linear. With the court whispering, the past clawing at their heels, and the future hanging by a thread, their bond is tested again and again. Because falling in love is one thing. Surviving it? That's a war of its own. Narine must decide, can she survive being loved by a man who burns like fire, when all she's ever known is how not to feel? Will she shrink for the sake of peace, or rise as Queen for the sake of his soul? For readers who believe even the most fractured souls can be whole again, and that true love doesn't save you. It stands beside you while you save yourself.
For ten years, Daniela showered her ex-husband with unwavering devotion, only to discover she was just his biggest joke. Feeling humiliated yet determined, she finally divorced him. Three months later, Daniela returned in grand style. She was now the hidden CEO of a leading brand, a sought-after designer, and a wealthy mining mogul-her success unveiled at her triumphant comeback. Her ex-husband's entire family rushed over, desperate to beg for forgiveness and plead for another chance. Yet Daniela, now cherished by the famed Mr. Phillips, regarded them with icy disdain. "I'm out of your league."
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