A Fate Inked in Blood (Saga of the Unfated, #1) by Danielle L. Jensen

A shield maiden blessed by the gods battles to unite a nation under a power-hungry king–while also fighting her growing desire for his fiery son–in this Norse-inspired fantasy romance from the bestselling author of The Bridge Kingdom series.Bound in an unwanted marriage, Freya spends her days gutting fish, but dreams of becoming a warrior. And of putting an axe in her boorish husband’s back.Freya’s dreams abruptly become reality when her husband betrays her to the region’s jarl, landing her in a fight to the death against his son, Bjorn. To survive, Freya is forced to reveal her deepest secret: She possesses a drop of a goddess’s blood, which makes her a shield maiden with magic capable of repelling any attack. It was foretold such a magic would unite the fractured nation of Skaland beneath the one who controls the shield maiden’s fate.Believing he’s destined to rule Skaland as king, the fanatical jarl binds Freya with a blood oath and orders Bjorn to protect her from their enemies. De