What's the Name of That Book??? discussion
► UNSOLVED: One specific book
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YA Fantasy Romance. Tyrant king, sibling rivalry, unknown identity. Read around 2021. Spoilers.
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Another scene I remember is that the main character have the girl a doll he made when they were young, and what she named it helped him figure out her identity. She was the lone survivor of a shipwreck who remembered her family, but never spoke of them.
Plot: A prince is manipulated into doing his tyrant father's dirty work and has become his father's hated enforcer. (His father threatens his one friend, a girl who was imprisoned years ago and who he would visit in the dungeons as they grew up.) The prince has brothers, each of which do what their father demand and have their own scars. One day, the prince is given an assignment to go to a different kingdom with one of his brothers and show support (I think?) for a marriage there. He leaves, but before he does, he throws a knife through his father's hand and tells his father that he is what his father made him to be, and it's time his father is afraid of him. I also seem to remember a scene with the queen in her poison garden before he leaves...
He goes with the brother assigned with him, who has coped by creating a massive spy network (including pirates he considered his family?) and is planning to overthrow their father. The spy brother tries to get the main character on board, and gives the main character bread crumbs of information about his friend/the girl's identity to win his trust. The prince is on board--until he realizes that the spot wants to kill the groom of the wedding, who the main character happens to know. When he tells his brother no, his brother threatens to have the girl killed if the prince goes against him. Since the girl has been his number one priority, he reluctantly agrees.
Meanwhile, at home the tyrant king decides to punish the main character by having another son (let's call him prince D) spend an hour every day with the girl. (For context, she's terrified of Prince D for threatening her at one point). At first she hates prince D, but they slowly become friends. Prince D pulls some strings with his father to bring her into the castle proper and teach her, etc., and he wants to be more than friends... But she's loyal to the main character first. Prince D really messes up with her when he lies about sending the main character a letter she sent.
As the wedding approaches, the main character feels conflicted because he likes these people, but he has always put the girl first. The night before the wedding, he realizes that his brother was lying about the girl's identity and that she is the long lost sister of the groom. He ultimately saves the groom and is thrown in prison for being part of the plot. Meanwhile, Prince D saves the girl from the spy brother's plan.
When the main character goes home, the tyrant father decides for some reason that the girl needs to be punished--and gets out a chemical compound that causes burns and scarring. The main character takes her place. I mostly remember this scene because Prince D and the main character are on the same team: save the girl no matter what the cost, and destroy the tyrant father.
Sorry that's a little long! If this rings a bell, please let me know what it is! (By the way, I'm not sure Prince D's name actually begins with a D)