The Kingdom of Thestria is ruled by one of the most tyrannical leaders in its recorded history, a man known to his people as The Iron King. You just know him as Father. Rebels grow in number daily, destabilizing the kingdom and tempting foreign invasion, while disgruntled nobles threaten civil war. With your coming-of-age ceremony just around the corner, everyone wants something from you, the only heir to the throne. Will you help your father crush the uprisings for good, band with the rebels, usurp the throne for yourself, or abandon it all for your own dreams?
Features
- Play as a prince or a princess
- Crush the rebels, join them, usurp the throne, or abandon it all to pursue your own dreams
- Romance a prince, a princess, a maidservant, a guardsman, a noble, or no one at all
- Bribe, threaten, charm, reason, or fight your way to your goals
- Be careful: your decisions will determine not only your fate, but that of an entire kingdom.
About the Author
Hi, Iām Holly, I studied writing at the University of Victoria and have been freelancing for years now. About a year ago I started getting more serious about writing fiction specifically. I specialize in speculative, clean fiction and have a few short stories coming out this year (one was published just today actually, more info in link at bottom).
Iāve pretty much always been obsessed with video games and have enjoyed CoG games for the last few years. Iām really excited to finally dive into my own CS project, but Iām super new to this so be gentle please 
Iām actually working on this game in collaboration with some of the folks at Silence & Starsong magazine, more authors may be added to the ābyā line as time goes on.
Content Warnings
Violence (not super graphic), an abusive father, optional forced relationships players can attempt to use their power to coerce an RO, culminating in an attempted rape later on, but this is (a) completely optional and easily avoidable, (b) will not be in any way glorified, and (c) will not be graphic or successful.
Romance Options
All romances in this game are heterosexual and low spice. You start the game betrothed, but thereās no rule that you have to go through with it, or that you have to romance anyone at all
Connor (female PCās betrothed): the noble prince. Youāre expected to marry him, but ultimately the choice is yours. Beyond the political advantages of such a union, heās a kind and caring man who genuinely wants whatās best for both your kingdoms, and he may prove to be more cunning than he first appears.
Nora (male PCās betrothed): Youāre expected to marry her, but ultimately the choice is yours. But it may not be a bad option. On first appearances, sheās everything youād expect from a princessāpolite, beautiful, and gracefulābut thereās a lot more to her than meets the eye. She fights fiercely for those she cares about and possesses a keen mind and a great deal of wisdom.
Garrett: your loyal guardsman. You grew up with him and know that he would die for you in a heartbeat, but is it just duty that binds you, or something more? Heās a strong and capable warrior, but with a surprising depth that he shows only to a few. Such a romance would, of course, be strictly forbidden, but youāre a princessācanāt you do what you want?
Mirabel: the feisty maidservant. You grew up with her at your side and she knows you perhaps better than anyone else. She goes about her duties obediently, but anyone with eyes can tell thereās a fire brewing in her heart. But your difference in station isnāt the only thing keeping you apartāMirabel has a secret, one that she wonāt share with just anyone. Is your love enough to hold you together despite everything against you?
Lady Evangeline: the cunning and seductive noblewoman. She knows everything about everyone and knows how to best make use of that information. A dangerous enemy and a powerful ally, she is sure to keep you on your toes. You may be betrothed to another, but Evangeline has never been one to follow the rules. With her at your side, what wonāt you be able to accomplish?
More coming soon, at least one male noble. Iām open to ideas.
Progress Report
Currently, IKH is one chapter (21k words) long, of an estimated 10 chapters. Chapter 1 is now at a place Iām happy withā¦there are a few feedback suggestions I hope to incorporate down the road, but for the near future I will be focusing on drafting out Chapter 2.
I will admit: progress is much slower than expected, due partially to unexpected life circumstances and also just the scope of the project. Rest assured, I work on this most days so I am making progress, but there may not be a major update for a few months.
God willing Iāll have something for you by September, but if not itāll be a while yet because thatās when my babyās due! Iām sure not planning on working on this during the newborn stage.
Next steps:
- Begin drafting out Ch 2
Changelog
1.08 (June 12, 2025)
- New option to thank Garrett/Mirabel at end of chapter
- Fixed: typos throughout
1.07 (May 28, 2025)
- Updated dock scene and ending
1.06 (May 19, 2025)
- Updated flight scene
1.05 (April 25, 2025)
- Fixed: various typos
1.04 (April 16, 2025)
- Fixed: Nora addressing male PC as Connor
- Partially updated flight scene
1.03 (April 10, 2025)
- Expanded introduction scene with Connor/Nora
- Fixed assorted typos
1.02 (April 7, 2025)
- Expanded carriage scene
1.01 (March 28, 2025)
- Fixed error after meeting Nora
- Fixed assorted typos
Feedback Requests
High-level feedback:
- What do you think of the characters?
- What would you like to see more of? Less of?
- What choices do you wish you were able to make but couldnāt?
- What direction do you hope this game takes?
- What are the strongest and weakest points of the game thus far?
- How likely would you be to play the next chapter?
Low-level feedback:
- Are there any glitches or continuity errors?
- Typos, awkward phrasing, etc.
Iām very new to CS, so no advice is too obvious 
Polls for funsies
Who are you playing?
- Prince
- Princess
Who are you romancing?
- Garrett
- Mirabel
- Connor
- Nora
- Evangeline
- Waiting for now
- Nobody
What kind of ruler will you be?
- Rebel sympathizer
- Tyrant king/queen
- Diplomatic prodigy (maybe everyone can get along???)
- The kind thatās enjoying a tropical cruise instead of leading a country
- The dead kind (letās be real, this is a dangerous game)
- Something else? (please share!)
Important Links
Demo
Feedback Form
Author Info
