Sole of Secrets: A Retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses

Princess Ruby is the only biological daughter of the emperor out of her eleven sisters. Despite being classified as her father's favorite, she's barely even permitted to step outside the palace due to the emperor's overprotectiveness. Some citizens believe she's kept confined because she's too treasured, while others believe it's because she's secretly ugly, but only her father and sisters know the true reason she's locked away...
Aiden is a common builder whose mother is slowly slipping away due to illness. He'd do anything to save her, even join the criminal group, the basilisks, in exchange for a magical extension of her life. With the emperor hosting a competition in search of a male heir, Aiden must now infiltrate the event and feed the basilisks whatever information they request. Should be easy enough. Or at least, it would have, until things take a turn for the worst when his fellow competitors begin to drop dead.
Aiden's job description never included murder, yet he still feels the basilisks are responsible, or worse... his intel helped them do it. Ruby may be a cherished princess, but she's powerless to protect others. If she wants to stop the killer, she'll need inside help from a competitor she feels she can trust... and she did like that Aiden fellow. Will Aiden help her save the other competitors, or will she be dancing with danger on her own?

The Ruby Realm is a collection of clean, intercepting stories, best enjoyed when read as a series.
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