The Assassin and the Prince

Teens

synopsis

Synopsis

A Feline Assassin. A Pampered Prince. A Marriage Destined for Disaster. Prince Crispin lives a sheltered life on hole-in-the-wall planet Ridan. He wants to get away from the pomp and circumstance of court life and go on vacation by himself. He's an adult now, after all. Aree is a feisty Feline with a capital F. She is full of spunk and "cattitude"...and she's a well-trained assassin. Answering a help wanted ad a warriors' magazine, she applies for a short-term security job on a quiet little planet. She expects a cush assignment and a nice break from wet work. Aree tries not to swish her tail when she meets the spoiled brat, but she finds it impossible. When the rulers offer her the job and she sees the salary, she takes on the task of protecting Crispin, against her better judgment.

bio

Author Biography

Hi, I'm Ronda Del Boccio, a blind, award-winning Missouri author, artist, and speaker. My stories, poems and articles have appeared on five continents. My new paranormal suspense novel They All Died Smiling (tells the story of a reluctant demon hunter, My previous books include The Peace Seed, Trust Your Heart: Building Relationships that Build Your Business, The Story of Impact, and I’ll Push You Steer: Download free stories and find out where we can meet at WriteOnPurpose.com/read.

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Author Insight

Did you ever feel out of place?

Crispin , co-heroe of the humorous #YAfantasy novella The Assassin and the Prince, is trying to figure out his place in life. He's a prince with no desire to take on rule, he loves ancient music with real (not electronic) instruments, and he has all the awkwardness of any teen. I've felt like I'm out of place numerous times in my life, even though I know my purpose. Have you?

Book Excerpt

The Assassin and the Prince

As he read the computerized text of the ancient tale, he imagined himself a knight of King Arthur's round table fighting for honor and following the Code of Chivalry. Life was an endless series of meetings, audiences, and royal duties. The door chime sounded, and he reluctantly set his e-book machine aside. He could hear the annoyance ringing through the tone.

Mother.

Before he could open his mouth to call out, the chime sounded again and Mother entered with a soft whoosh of satin. She frowned as she scanned his suite.

She was going to launch into one of her speeches about responsibility or how he must prepare to take the yoke of rule upon his shoulders.

"Crispin, why is there an unsheathed sword on your bed?"

He jumped to his feet. "Hello…"

She scanned the room with laser-sharp green eyes, targeted the scabbard, snatched it up, whisked the sword into it and tossed it to him in less time than it took him to greet her. "…Mother." He traced the elaborate dragon shooting pewter fire from its toothy mouth with its talons poised to strike.

"Put that ridiculous toy away and come to the audience chamber."

Ridiculous toy? Why did she always treat me like a lazy idiot? There was a bowl of fruit on the table beside her. He slid the sword from its sheath and sliced an apple perfectly in half.

"Very cute. Now come along." Her dark green skirt swirled around her long legs as she walked away in quick measured steps.

He tossed an apple half into the air and caught it in his teeth as he followed in her wake