Oath of the Iron Vow

Isolde Maren has exactly one job at Ironspire: swear the Vow, take the seat that's been kept empty for her family for two generations, and go home. The Vow binds her for seven years — and to whoever signs the second and third line. Isolde expects one name. She gets two: Niall, of a family that lost its seat to Isolde's grandfather, and Ferran, who signs as a witness and then can't step back. Then the Vow takes a third name nobody mentioned. Doran. Ironspire's most notorious dropout, back at the last minute, and refusing to say why. Isolde spends the year trying to void the contract and discovers something worse than a forced marriage: her family never forfeited its seat. They traded it. And the trade is still live. Now Isolde has one assembly, one challenge, and one chance to take back a name that was sold out from under her — with three signatures on her side this time.