Their love is forbidden, but she's willing to pay the price. The daughter of an emperor, Faustina has been raised to be two things: beautiful and silent. As her wedding draws near, she has resigned herself to the fate of a lonely and loveless marriage, until a chance meeting with a stranger from the far north promises to alter her future. Idris is everything she has dreamed of and the world he speaks of is unlike anything she has ever experienced. Faustina quickly finds herself falling for both his alluring ideas and his intoxicating touch, but does she dare risk giving her heart to Idris? The Duchess is a low spice romantic fantasy novella and a prequel to The Hunter: Tales of Pern Coen. Please note that as a prequel, The Duchess does end with an atypical HEA.