Of Mirth and Majesty: A Dark Fantasy Romance (Crossed by Blood)

“Never forget—death bends to my will.”

HIM

My existence was carved from obedience and blood.

Kingdoms kneel. Enemies disappear. Even death remembers to lower its eyes when I pass.

Then she entered my dreams.

Selena—soft as mercy, bright as blasphemy—promising a devotion my arranged bride has never learned to counterfeit. I searched centuries of faces for hers, scoured ballrooms and battlefields, convinced she was a cruelty my mind invented in a fleeting moment of weakness.

Until I found her hiding in the dirt of a friend’s garden.

Real. Breathing. Infuriatingly mortal.

She was not the fragile creature I expected. She was a storm wearing a woman’s shape, scarred by loss yet refusing to bow to it. The world had tried to break her and failed—and watching her stand among the ruins of her life felt dangerously close to worship.

I told myself I desired her because kings collect beautiful things.

I lied.

Every law I have ever written trembles when she speaks my name.

HER

He calls himself my protector.

The court calls him tyrant.

The shadows call him something far worse.

Elijah rules like a man who has never been told no, yet he looks at me as though I am the only kingdom he has not conquered. I should fear him. I should run.

Instead, I feel seen.

But crowns are made of sharper things than gold, and loving a king means learning how to bleed quietly. In his world, trust is a rumor and betrayal wears friendly faces dripping with jewels.

If I give him my heart, he will call it surrender.

If I refuse, he may call it treason.

OF MIRTH AND MAJESTY

Elijah has ruled the night for centuries—disciplined, untouchable, a vampire sovereign who mistakes control for peace. Selena arrives like a fracture in his empire, human and luminous, carrying grief he cannot command and courage he cannot buy.

Duty demands he choose his throne.

Desire demands he choose her.

As enemies circle and ancient oaths tighten like chains of iron, Elijah must decide whether he is a king first—or a man willing to burn his own kingdom for the woman who taught him how to feel.

In a realm where even joy has teeth,

love may be the most dangerous rebellion of all.

Tropes

Morally black vampire king

Arranged-fiancé tension

Worshipful obsession

Touch-her-and-die

Court intrigue & power imbalance

No cheating

HEA

Please read trigger warnings inside the book—your mental health matters.

A dark vampire fantasy romance. Fourth in interconnected standalones—Elijah and Selena’s story. No particular reading order required.