The princess in the tower

“There’s a girl in the tower,” a voice said in the darkness.

The handless monk’s probably. He’d had one hand cut at the wrist, and it was now only a stump. The monk had been doing his copying of the Holy Book with that hand, so by cutting that out they might as well have cut out his heart. But what did it matter now, anyway? He would rot in this cell like the rest of them.

“And you are telling us this why?” Robin said in his most disdainful tones.

He was chained to his own cell, a cavernous, black hole in the wall, alive with wet, dripping sounds and the scurrying of rats. He and the other prisoners had never laid eyes on each other, each in their own cell, covered in darkness.

All there was left of them was their voices.

Still, they had become fast friends.

Well, as much friends as soon-to-be corpses could become, of course.

“I thought it might interest you,” the monk said, sounding amused.

There was nothing amusing about the news, or their situation.

Robin had been dreaming of moonlight on water. Well, not exactly dreaming of it—in order to dream, one had to fall asleep first. And it was his third sleepless night in a row. He sometimes would fade in and out of consciousness, but as for sleep, it eluded him completely.

“There is a girl in the tower,” the faceless voice in the darkness of the dungeon said, for the third day in a row.

Or the fourth, or the millionth? Who knew what day it was anyway? There was no light down here, no humanity. Time was no more. Only pain.

“You already said that,” someone else croaked.

“Well, I think she’s beautiful. I’d rather think of a beautiful girl than the piece of rotten bread they chucked on the wet stones just beyond my reach yesterday, if that’s all right with you.”

“A beautiful girl—You never mean the sheriff’s daughter, do you?” This was an older voice talking. The old man chained to the other side of the wall, his back pressed against Robin’s, except for the stones between them.

“Ah, no.” The voice sounded profoundly disappointed. “And here I was, thinking she’d be this beautiful maiden.”

“I hear she is,” the old man chuckled. How could he chuckle in a place like this? “She is also the monster’s daughter.”

“How can she be beautiful then?” the first voice said. “I bet her heart is as black as his.”

“She is just a child. She cannot be a part in it.”

“A child of sixteen years? She is definitely part of his plans, whether she knows it or not. He will wed her to the prince.”

“Do not be daft. The prince has a wife.”

“Now, he’ll have another one.”

“Do not be crass. These are not biblical times, we are well into the twelve hundreds. He will marry her to his lieutenant.”

“That beast, Gisborne? He is nothing but a mindless assassin.”

“And not a well-paid one.”

“Let’s get the earl’s opinion on this.”

“The earl is dead.”

“What?!”

“The earl of Loxley. The one chained to the wall in the cell next to mine?”

“The very same.”

“He is dead, I tell you.”

“Do not be ridiculous. He is the reason any of us are still alive to be tortured for information on him.”

“Haven’t heard him breathe in over four hours.”

“Is that what you do, just sit there and listen to your fellow inmate breathe?”

“Is there anything better to do in this dungeon?”

“He is still alive.”

“Who said that?”

“Me, you moron. I’m the earl of Loxley. Not dead, unfortunately.”

“You sound dead.”

“Shut up.” A wet cough.

“Says the dying man.”

“We are all dying men here.” Another cough. “Tell me about the girl. Now.”

Die for You by M.C. Frank ©2026

coming 11-11-2026

Robin Hood is about to steal your heart.

A robber and a princess.
A girl disguised as a boy.
A medieval reimagining of the legend of Robin Hood packed with adventure, sacrifice and romance.

Robin Hood, hidden deep in the Sherwood Forest, is fighting to restore the crown to its rightful king, surrounded by faithful friends, green leaves and clear skies. Burdened with secrets, betrayal and an incredible responsibility, he struggles to stay alive and keep the starving people fed. One day, a boy saves him from the Sheriff’s poisoned arrows. Robin, impressed by the slender youth’s courage and skill, takes the boy with him to the forest. Only, the boy is not a boy.

In the castle of Nottingham, a maiden who used to be a princess is forced to obey the wishes of a tyrannical Sheriff. She dons on male clothes and trains to become a fierce assassin, vowing to catch the greatest criminal in the kingdom. But when she saves Robin Hood’s life nearly losing her own, she is rescued by the outlaws.

When Robin and the “boy” meet, two worlds collide, resulting in unimaginable danger and intense romance. Who will survive when they learn each other’s secrets?

What happens when the assassin falls in love with her victim?

Filled with danger, intrigue and slow-burn passion, this is a Robin Hood story unlike any you have ever read before!

Tropes
🏹Enemies to lovers
🏹Touch her and regret it
🏹Tortured, brooding band of men (also idiots)
🏹Hidden identity
🏹Female assassin
🏹Robin Hood except he is young and sad and needs a hug but will not tolerate pity
🏹Found family
🏹Secrets, plots, war
🏹Forced proximity - one bed trope
🏹Slow burn that sizzles and finally explodes leaving no survivors
🏹Forest scenes interrupted by out-of-key singing or imminent death
🏹Fighting against injustice
🏹Female warriors
🏹Dual POV
🏹Past tense
🏹Cats

If you would like to read Die for You the minute it comes out, here is a link to preorder it.

With all my love and thanks,

https://books.mcfrankauthor.com