"The life of an eldest daughter is one defined by sacrifice. That of autonomy, of privacy, and even of youthful ignorance. As both first in line and rightful heir to the country of Leifr's throne, Odessa Trajan is uniquely situated to understand the value of her place in the family order. Her position as heir is abruptly shaken with the sudden death of her father, who takes his advocacy of her with him. Her only saving grace is the faint mark of the royal family crest upon her, something too clear for even her abusive mother to disregard.
It’s only after the throne is taken from Odessa and given to her perfect sister does she find herself suddenly unable to settle for being second… or third… or fifth place. Now without the birthright she was promised, she has only one option: cutting the line. It's a heavy cost, but sacrifices must be made. . ."
Hello! Welcome to PROJECT: BIRTHRIGHT (PBR). This is a passion project between two separate writers working to make one narrative. There's more about us in the FAQ and Author’s tabs to the left of the screen.
PBR follows Odessa Trajan as she grapples with the fact her… well, birthright, has been stolen from under her nose and given to her younger sister Adrianna. After a lifetime of disrespect, othering, and neglect from her mother, Odessa snaps and hires an assassin to ensure her throne is returned to her— one way or another.
For as important as Odessa is though, she’s hardly our only character of note. PBR is a three-pronged narrative, with the POV shared between herself, the assassin she hires, and… a tailor…?
Cassius Bell, known professionally as ‘Snuff’, is a ruthlessly efficient killer who deals exclusively in high-risk, high-profile group assassinations. When Odessa comes to her with the hardest job of her life, she’s expecting that killing one of the highest profiles in the country will be difficult. What she isn’t expecting is falling in love while trying to do it. Somehow, she stumbles into the best— and only— relationship of her life with the only problem being that he’d kill her if he discovered why she was truly there. After a life spent living for others and never for herself, can Cassius balance love, loyalty, and the demands of a single contract?
When sandwiched between a clinical killer and a disgraced princess turned traitorous conspirator, Cairos Iliou seems… illfitting. For him to share a list with two criminals of the highest order, you’d expect him to practice needlework on puppies. But in truth, Cairos’ only real crime is that of being born an Alloy: the kingdom’s most hated race by virtue of being two at once. After a life of hardships and hiding, Cairos has finally found something good. Better than good. He’s in love, he’s well-fed, and he has a place he can call home— all of which is more than most Alloys would ever experience. He owes everything to Cassius and would do anything for her. If only that ‘anything’ wasn’t ‘endear himself to his neglectful father’… maybe anything but that. When faced with the question ‘what would you do for love?’ Cairos continually answers ‘anything’, but when asked ‘what would you do for yourself?’ he has to wonder what else there is but ‘run?’
Of course, PBR is much more than just these three. There's a cast full of lovable characters that are waiting to meet you and a world full of depth and intrigue for anyone brave enough to delve deeper into the Hole we’ve dug for you…
Before we jump though, some warnings:
PBR is a story that will be covering explicit themes of violence, neglect, racism, and struggle within a tyrannical system. Please do proceed with caution. We also ask that you understand this is a WORK IN PROGRESS. Anything— and we do mean anything— is subject to change.
Please give us grace as we craft this world, and these characters, and join us on the journey of PROJECT: BIRTHRIGHT.
— H & G