The King's Horrible Bride

I'm curious whether the author drew from classic fairy tales or wanted to subvert typical royal romance stories with a darker twist.

The chemistry was intense, but some scenes made me wonder about the boundaries of consent in such a high-stakes environment. What was the author's intention here?

The novella felt fast-paced but still gave moments to connect with the characters' motivations. I'm interested in how that balance was achieved during writing.