Edelweiss

Book one of the Marked Path

When Prince Ehren von Stöffen gambles his name on a forbidden edelweiss, he loses title, trust, and safety and sets a chain of events that will remake the realm. Regents and assassins seize power, intimate betrayals harden into political weapons, and hidden loyalties surface as new figures—foundlings, marksmen, outcasts, and a fierce survivor called Falcon—rise from the wreckage of his reckoning.

Ehren discovers that breaking his curse only begins his true trial: he must define love between the idealistic Princess Stephanie, her loyal friend Heidi, and the enigmatic Charm Capriclaire- or risk a crown as cold as his hollow vows. As Stephanie, convinced of his betrayal, colludes with the ruthless Captain Johann who extracts a brutal toll, Ehren’s yearning draws him into Capriclaire’s clandestine world- only for his pursuit of forbidden desire to shatter into chains and despair. When he finally breaks free and races beneath the moonlit pines to reunite with Capriclaire, Ehren confronts a shattering truth: love, once seized, demands sacrifices that may cost him both honor and heart.

Author’s Note

This book contains depictions of sex, violence, sexual violence, self-harm, and suicide. These elements are not included for shock or spectacle, but to explore the full spectrum of human desire- its tenderness, its brutality, its contradictions. Desire in this story is not confined to romance or longing; it manifests in power, survival, vengeance, and grief.

While the frequency of assault depicted may seem high, it reflects statistically grounded realities of the time in which this book was written- and likely underrepresents the conditions of medieval Germany, where systemic violence, especially against women and marginalized groups, was both widespread and normalized. The narrative does not aim to sensationalize these truths, but to confront them with emotional realism and historical integrity.

I’ve approached these themes with care and intention, striving to portray them respectfully and without exploitation. Readers may find certain scenes difficult. That difficulty is part of the truth this book seeks to tell.

Please read with awareness and take care of yourself as needed.