The FlameBound Court Shadow and Gold

He is an exiled prince cloaked in darkness. She is the realm's most cunning thief. One stolen relic is about to bind their fates together forever.
Darius, the fallen shadow-dragon prince, has spent years surviving in the periphery of the realm he was born to rule. Bitter, guarded, and stripped of his birthright, he lives for one purpose: reclaiming his place and dismantling the corruption that cast him out.
Lyra is a master of whispered locks and impossible heists, answering to no one and relying solely on her wits to survive. But when a job to steal an ancient Draconi artifact goes catastrophically wrong, she doesn't just trigger the relic's dormant power-she awakens a fated-mate bond that violently ties her soul to Darius.
Now magically bound, the unlikely pair is forced into the most dangerous heist of their lives: infiltrating the heavily fortified Royal Dragon Citadel. To slip past the guards and navigate the lethal web of royal politics, they must pose as devoted noble lovers. But as courtly masks blur into genuine passion, a deadlier shadow falls over the Citadel.
The Gilded Hand, an elusive assassin guild woven deep into the court's hierarchy, is preparing to strike, threatening to tear the dragon realm apart from the inside. To survive, Darius and Lyra must look past their secrets, combine shadow and gold magic, and trust the bond they never asked for-before the traitors claim the throne, and their lives.
A high-stakes romantasy featuring a brooding hero, a witty heroine, fake dating, forced proximity, and a deadly court heist.