Kitsuneko (The Realms Beyond the Rainbow, #0)

Trouble is brewing in the realms beyond the rainbow … Kitsuneko has always done her best to honor her duty. As a young fox-cat changeling, she was conscripted into slavery by King Dario and Queen Arianna of Toulacoeur to serve as the surrogate for Princess Cari, their daughter who was kidnapped seventeen years ago.But when Kiro, Cari's younger brother and the heir to the throne, proclaims his love for her, Kitsuneko is torn between her duty to the kingdom and her desire for the virtuous prince. And when Kiro's kisses leave her breathless, Kitsuneko finds herself -- and the kingdom -- in mortal danger.For the peace that Toulacoeur enjoys, maintained through the blessing of Kleon, the Unicorn Guardian, is at risk, and to maintain their rule, the king and queen have arranged for Kiro to marry Ariella, a Warlord's daughter from a tribe of Gryphon Riders.Can Kitsuneko and Kiro find a way to be together and keep the kingdom's peace? Or is their love destined to only lead to destruction?Kitsuneko is A Companion Novella to The Realms Beyond the Rainbow, a fantasy romance adventure with changelings, rainbow portals, and the US Space Force from award-winning, genre-hopping author C. S. Johnson.FROM THE BOOK: I look in the mirror carefully, scrutinizing the smallest details of the face before me. It is the face of a beautiful young woman, serene and striking all at once. I study the rosy cheeks, still youthfully plump while they start to hint at adulthood, while golden hair falls to either side, sweeping long past the pointed chin. My focus fastens onto the nose in wonderment, mesmerized by the size of the little bump that turns up at its end. I press down on it with my finger, and it shrinks, ever so slightly, in size.Finally, my gaze travels to see the two large, slanted eyes staring back at me; the misty green twinkles, simultaneously bewildered and cautious.The eyes are mine, even if the rest of the face is not.Of all the different kinds of changelings, the kitsunefolk are the only ones whose eyes refuse to change. I doubt this is anything but by design; my kinfolk are known for their inner stubbornness as much as they are known for their outward flexibility. Add in the catblood, and that's me.I am a changeling from the Honeyspice Lands, a kitsune-neko, and that's all. That is my only role to play in the grand kingdom of Toulacoeur, and so much so, that's what they named me.I am Kitsuneko, slave of King Dario and his wife, Queen Arianna, their full-time substitute for their daughter, Princess Cari.I smile into the mirror, and the face of Princess Cari smiles back at me.Perfect, I whisper. You look just like her.Or at least, I look like what most people think Princess Cari would look like, if she hadn't been kidnapped seventeen years ago. WHAT READERS ARE SAYING: I absolutely love this tail of love and tragedy and hope! ~ Malissa, Audiobook ReviewerThis is fantasy old school, one adults and kids will enjoy. ~ William, Goodreads Reviewer