Ruses of Lenore Series by Kate Stradling

A Legacy of DeceptionViola Moreland's life is a well-orchestrated lie. For generations, her family has fabricated the existence of the Eternal Prince, a mysterious and powerful ruler who watches over the small kingdom of Lenore.This practiced deception cracks when a nameless stranger stumbles across the truth and promptly assumes the Prince's identity... moreA Legacy of DeceptionViola Moreland's life is a well-orchestrated lie. For generations, her family has fabricated the existence of the Eternal Prince, a mysterious and powerful ruler who watches over the small kingdom of Lenore.This practiced deception cracks when a nameless stranger stumbles across the truth and promptly assumes the Prince's identity. Unable to produce the genuine figurehead, the Moreland family—and Viola in particular—must cater to the imposter's whims or risk their web of carefully constructed ruses crumbling to pieces.But as with any good lie, nothing is what it seems. Contrary to Viola's desires, this false Prince with his cryptic agenda may well be the only thing that stands between the true magic of Lenore and certain destruction.Also includes "Prince of Ruses," a Ruses of Lenore short story less

A Ridiculous ContestFlora Dalton wants nothing more than a quiet life in the countryside of Lenore, but her father's promotion to the Parliament of Lords has uprooted her and planted her smack in the middle of a mess... moreA Ridiculous ContestFlora Dalton wants nothing more than a quiet life in the countryside of Lenore, but her father's promotion to the Parliament of Lords has uprooted her and planted her smack in the middle of a mess. Not only must she adjust to a new home, a new city, and a new circle of friends, but she also gets to endure a whole country gone mad with excitement: the Eternal Prince—their famed and fabled protector—has decided at long last to take a consort!Rumor says he's going to marry the prime minister's daughter, Viola Moreland, but the lords have petitioned him to consider each of their daughters in turn, and that includes unlucky Flora. Against her wishes she must navigate a sea of scheming females in a laughable tournament of feminine graces, even as deathly shadows encroach on her doorstep.For while most everyone is fixated on the Eternal Prince's love life, something sinister is afoot in Lenore, and Flora happens to be at the very heart of it. less

An Empire in DecayRosia Domitius has lived her whole life in Melanthos, in the palace of Emperor Petronius Drusus and his heirs. She loves her homeland, but the magic that once infused it is vanishing, siphoned by Lenore, a small, defiant country to the west. When magical attacks begin along that border, the emperor dispatches an investigative party with Rosia in its midst—as a fledgling assassin... moreAn Empire in DecayRosia Domitius has lived her whole life in Melanthos, in the palace of Emperor Petronius Drusus and his heirs. She loves her homeland, but the magic that once infused it is vanishing, siphoned by Lenore, a small, defiant country to the west. When magical attacks begin along that border, the emperor dispatches an investigative party with Rosia in its midst—as a fledgling assassin. His expectations are clear: she can end her people’s suffering if she kills Lenore’s ruler, a mysterious figure known only as the Eternal Prince.As soon as her party crosses the border, they encounter a nameless young man with a mischievous smile. Although he acts harmless, the creatures of the woods obey his whims. Rosia’s survival quickly depends on his goodwill, and perhaps on uncovering the secrets he guards with his pleasant façade.For, according to this stranger, her homeland’s woes come not from Lenore but from within, from rituals lost and bonds betrayed. If she follows her original plan, she might save the dying empire. Or, she might destroy its only hope. less