Lady Smoke

> "*Freedom comes at a price.*"
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***Lady Smoke*** is the second book of the *Ash Princess Trilogy*.

## Synopsis

The Kaiser murdered Theodosia's mother, the Fire Queen, when Theo was only six. He took Theo's country and kept her prisoner, crowning her Ash Princess--a pet, to toy with and humiliate for ten long years. That era has ended. The Kaiser thought his prisoner weak and defenseless. He didn't realize that a sharp mind is the deadliest weapon.

Theo no longer wears a crown of ashes. She has taken back her rightful title, and a hostage--Prinz Søren. But her people remain enslaved under the Kaiser's rule, and now she is thousands of miles away from them and her throne.

To get them back, she will need an army. Only, securing an army means she must trust her aunt, the dreaded pirate Dragonsbane. And according to Dragonsbane, an army can only be produced if Theo takes a husband. Something an Astrean Queen has never done.

Theo knows that freedom comes at a price, but she is determined to find a way to save her country without losing herself.

## Blurb

*Scars fade and ashes wash away but a queen never forgets.*

## Recap

Lady Smoke begins right where Ash Princess left off. Theodosia, her new shadows, and Søren are on board the Smoke. Søren is being held captive.

Dragonbane’s arranges a deal with King Etristo of Sta’Crivero. In exchange for the water gem mine, Sta’Crivero is hosting the heads of countries from all over the world to meet with Theo and offer their troops in exchange for her hand in marriage. Queens of Astrea do not marry, but this might be Theo’s only option for defeating the Kaiser and reclaiming her country.

Søren comes to Sta’Crivero as Theo’s advisor. Erik arrives with Hoa, revealing themselves as Emperor and Princess of Goraki.

Archduke Etmond of Haptania, Theo’s first choice of suitor, is poisoned. Søren is arrested because he is of the same bloodline as the Kaiser's. Hoa is soon poisoned in place of Erik, who has left to gather armies.In a series of events, Theo discovers that *Salla* Coltania was the one who poisoned the Archduke and Hoa, willing to do anything to help her brother Chancellor Marzen (of Oriana) advance.

*Salla* Coltainia drugs Theo and tries to abduct her and take her back to Oriana. But Theo kills her as self defence. She and her shadows escape and liberate her people from the Sta’Crivero refugee camps. With the help of Dragonbane’s crew, they commandeer Sta’Crivero’s fleet and escape the country.

Theo rescues Søren from prison and admits she loves him.

Theo forms an army with Astrea refugees and fights the Kalovaxian army in order to free the slaves working in the fire gem mine.

Kalovaxian reinforcements arrive and according to Søren beliefs. King Etristo of Sta’Crivero must have tipped the Kaiser off. Luckily, Erik and Dragonsbane arrive in the nick of time to help fight the Kalovaxian.

The Kaiser invokes parlay and demands Theo’s army retreats. Cress kisses the Kaiser and in doing so kills him. Cress tells Theo if she drinks the Encatio poison, she will order her army to retreat, by which Theo does. In the chaos however, Søren who was standing beside her was taken captive by his people to give him the penalty of betrayal.

Erik predicts Cress will have to marry Søren in order to secure her place on the throne.

In the epilogue, Theodosia walks into the Fire mine in hopes of regaining control over her fire power again. She sees a vision of her mother, and her mother calls her the Queen of Flame and Fury.

## Characters

* Theodosia Eirene Houzzara: A sixteen year old queen who spent a decade under the Kaiser's rule, but decided to reclaim her country, Astrea.
* Prinz Søren: A Kalovaxian prinz who rejects his father's rule. Søren is taken prisoner by Queen Theodosia, but then proves his loyalty and becomes part of her council
* Blaise: Theodosia's childhood friend. He spent five years in the mines and is showing signs of mine madness.
* Artemisia: aka Art, is the daughter of Dragonsbane and Theodosia's cousin. With a hard past, Artemisia's demeanor is stone-like; however, she sometimes shows signs of fear or sadness.
* Heron: he has lost his family in the mines. He has shown to be loyal to Theodosia from the beginning.
* Crescentia: Theo’s former best friend before Theo poisoned her and is in need of revenge.
* Etristo: King of Stacrivero
* Dragonsbane: Sister of Eirene and Theodosia's aunt, she is the captain of *the Smoke* and an Astrean Pirate.