Empress & Soldier

Book IV?  Yes, but also a standalone novel or a second entry point into the series.

A 2025 Eric Hoffer Award Finalist.

One seeks to save an empire. The other seeks to save his soul.

A cruel command from his merchant father drives sixteen-year-old Druisius from his home and into the front lines. A decade later, he is a man forged by the loss of his first love and the bloodiness of conquest, a soldier who has traded his humanity for survival.

Eudekia, a scholar's daughter, was never meant for a crown. But in a city choked by famine and an empire bleeding from war, she has become an Emperor's bride, a prince's mother, and the throne's last hope.

The arrival of a delegation from the lost West changes everything. Among them is a young captain—a man of honor who offers Druisius, now a city guard, something he thought he'd lost forever: a chance to move beyond his violent past.

As the Captain captures Eudekia's heart and Druisius's devotion, the three are woven into a dangerous web of intrigue. In the span of a few weeks, Druisius must decide if his loyalty belongs to his past, or to the man who offers a future he never dared to dream of.