The Hawthorn Crown Chronicles
As England moves toward civil war in 1642, Eleanor Cason struggles to protect Hawthorn Hall from a kingdom demanding that every household choose a side. Her brothers have pledged themselves to opposing causes, leaving Eleanor caught between their loyalties-and responsible for a family whose secrets could prove more dangerous than either army.
The discovery of a murdered courier carrying the Cason emblem draws Eleanor into the Hawthorn Circle, a clandestine network of messages, hidden passages, and forged documents. Meanwhile, her younger sister Anne's connection to the powerful Wexford family places Anne and her newborn daughter at the center of a ruthless struggle over inheritance and influence.
With the help of Gabriel Rookwood, a man she once trusted and has never entirely forgotten, Eleanor follows a trail of stolen letters and concealed identities from Nottingham toward Oxford. Each revelation undermines another certainty: her father's motives, Gabriel's past, and even the death of the mother whose loss shaped their lives.
Behind England's public conflict, powerful figures are buying loyalties and manipulating both sides. To them, couriers are expendable, children are useful instruments, and family affection is another weakness to exploit. As Hawthorn becomes a refuge for those endangered by the network, Eleanor must decide whether preserving its secrets offers protection-or merely allows its abuses to continue.
Spanning England's upheavals from 1642 to 1689, When Kingdoms Bleed centers on a family divided by allegiance and bound by the consequences of secrecy. At its heart is Eleanor's struggle to protect the people entrusted to her without becoming another keeper who confuses love with control.
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