The Duelist and the Adjudicator

Julian Vance has spent three years perfecting the dueling code of the man who controls his life. When Chief Adjudicator Kenneth Sterling arrives to inspect the guild, he sees the skill Julian has been forced to hide—and offers him a chance to be judged on his own terms. Under Harlan’s watchful eye, trust becomes its own kind of risk. Can Julian place his future in the hands of the one man who might set him free? Forbidden romance · Slow burn · Court intrigue · Duels HEA · Closed door. Content note: coercive control, physical punishment, and violence.