Rogue Princess
B.R. Myers
Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: January 21st 2020
Genres: Retelling, Science Fiction, Young Adult
A princess fleeing an arranged marriage teams up with a snarky commoner to foil a rebel plot in B. R. Myers’ Rogue Princess, a gender-swapped sci-fi YA retelling of Cinderella.Princess Delia knows her duty: She must choose a prince to marry in order to secure an alliance and save her failing planet. Yet she secretly dreams of true love, and feels there must be a better way. Determined to chart her own course, she steals a spaceship to avoid the marriage, only to discover a handsome stowaway.All Aidan wanted was to “borrow” a few palace trinkets to help him get off the planet. Okay, so maybe escaping on a royal ship wasn’t the smartest plan, but he never expected to be kidnapped by a runaway princess!Sparks fly as this headstrong princess and clever thief battle wits, but everything changes when they inadvertently uncover a rebel conspiracy that could destroy their planet forever.
Excerpt
“Grand news!” Corporal Langdon bounded into the room out of
breath. He looked past Aidan and zeroed in on the pot on the stove. Taking off
the lid, he leaned down, but then his happy expression melted. “Roots again?”
He sounded disappointed. The lid went back down with a clank. “Hardly a supper
fit to celebrate Drake’s advancement!”
Walking around Aidan, he yelled out Morgan’s name. “Come
here! We’re celebrating!”
“What’s the news?” Aidan lined up the dishes and began
ladling the food.
Drake made a face as if he was smelling rotten sandworms.
“You spoil everything,” he muttered. Aidan wasn’t sure if he meant the food or
simply Aidan’s existence in his field of vision. He laid the three dishes on
the table, making sure to pour the ale in his stepfather’s stein first.
The basement stairs creaked, followed by the door opening.
Morgan arrived, his expression bearing the same deep concentration of earlier,
but a little less intense. His gaze moved back and forth between his father and brother. “Drake has
made the Queen’s Guard?” he said, dully. “Stunning.”
The Queen’s Guard? Drake can barely tie his own shoes! Astor
is doomed.
Aidan watched Morgan from the corner of his eye, wondering how he had even
guessed such a preposterous event. It was more ludicrous than his own adventure
today.
Corporal Langdon stared down Morgan. A warning flashed
across his eyes before it vanished. He then slapped Drake heavily on his meaty
shoulders and laughed. “He will be stunning in his uniform! And it
couldn’t have come at a better time, what with the Full Moon Festival
approaching.”
Morgan went to the table and sat at his place.
“Princess Delia will announce her engagement at the ball,”
Corporal Langdon said. His body dropped onto his chair, making the floor
shudder. “Every important leader will be there,” he continued, practically
gushing. “It will be a historic moment for this family.” Despite his earlier
remark about the meal, he started eating with gusto. “Only the important
households get invitations,” he said around a mouthful.
A snort escaped from Drake. Then he caught his father’s eye
and dipped his chin.
Aidan scooped out the last piece of vegetable and dropped it
into a small dish for himself. He started to make his way to his room.
“One more thing,” Corporal Langdon called out to him. “I
forbid you from going to Griffin’s shop anymore.” He pointed the spoon at
Aidan. “He says terrible things about the palace. There are rumors he’s part of
the resistance. No child of mine will do business with such lowlifes.”
I am not your child! Aidan screamed in his
head. Instead he nodded. “Yes.”
“Yes, what?”
“Yes, corporal.”
The fine pinpricks of a headache started. Aidan put a hand
to the right side of his head. He noticed Drake’s elbow nudge his stepfather.
“Excuse me,” Aidan said, escaping to his room.
He sat on the small cot and downed his piece of supper in
one bite. Turning on the plasma lamp, he focused on the shelves above his bed.
He touched each item, remembering when he’d gotten them. Then he put his
attention on the latest acquisition.
The delicate cake was somewhat crushed, but its coconut
aroma brought a plethora of images. It was cruel, actually. Daydreaming of
Delia when he knew he’d never be that close to her ever again.
There was a roar of laughter from the kitchen. “Him? At the
ball? Wearing his kitchen garb?” his stepfather snorted.
Author Bio:B.R. Myers spent most of her teen years behind the covers of Stephen King, Ray Bradbury, and Lois Duncan. When she’s not putting her characters in awkward situations she works as a registered nurse. A member of the Writer’s Federation of Nova Scotia, she lives in Halifax with her husband and their two children.
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