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Velvet Lies: A Coral Palace novella by L. Shelby
"You mean the man's own servants won't say who killed him because it wouldn't be polite?"
Zelli thought he was just supposed to be carrying diplomatic messages from his home country to the Imperial Court of Borgim. But when he arrives at the Coral Palace, he discovers that the ambassador is suspected of murder. The Emperor assigns Zelli to the case, and gives him just two days to find the true culprit. It sounds like an easy task; there were half a dozen witnesses. Too bad the rules of etiquette absolutely forbid anyone from admitting that a member of the Imperial Court might do something wrong. How will Zelli find the murder, when no one will tell him the truth?
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Introduction to the Coral Palace World
NOT FREE but DRM-free
Cantata in Coral and Ivory (Coral Palace) by L. Shelby
Ikhsior never expected to inherit the family title, and would rather return to the roving life of a sea captain than remain a part of the Imperial Court. But it isn't easy to withdraw from emperor's service without damaging his family's honor. To regain his freedom, he must first master the intricacies of his new position.
But a courtier's skills do not come easily to the former sailor, and the Coral Palace holds far more mysteries than he was expecting. How has he won the enmity of the court's most fashionable lord? Why did a young lady give him a device that shouldn't even exist? What is this moving statue that everyone seems to have seen but him? Could he possibly have lost his heart to one of the throng of art-obsessed courtiers? And does the future of the country really depend on what he does next?
He has always been confident of his ability to achieve his goals, but this is the hardest and most confusing challenge he has ever faced. How can he succeed when he's no longer certain what he's trying to do?
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Pavane in Pearl and Emerald (Coral Palace) by L. Shelby
A Mysterious Obsession
The Emperor of Borgim has only one child. But although it is her destiny to rule a mighty empire, she seems to have trouble thinking about anything other than the great dance-dramas that are put on by the court. She takes the leading role in each production, and spends all her time and attention on practicing, directing and preparing for performances, and none at all on the affairs of state.
Kide, one of the most accomplished courtiers in the Coral Palace, has been attempting to win the hand of the princess. Of an artistic bent himself, her fascination with dancing did not trouble him until he realized that, no matter how charming she was and how excellent her character, it did not make sense that all the ladies who attended her would mirror her obsessive behavior. And yet, every single one of her attendants seemed as single-mindedly devoted to the dance as she was herself.
Something very strange is going on at the Coral Palace, and Kide needs to find out what before matters get worse. This threatens not only his matrimonial ambitions and his heart, but also his freedom, and possibly even the future of the entire nation.