The Serpent and the Wolf

Why these tropes fit

This romantasy centers on a politically arranged marriage of convenience between a sharp, combat-trained noblewoman with awakened dark magic and a ruthless foreign ruler, where their initial transactional pact to advance his political power and secure her freedom and control over her magic evolves into a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance, complicated by high-stakes court intrigue and betrayal from her power-hungry brother who schemes to kill her and use her death to justify war.

Evidence from the source

• Arranged Marriage: “In one last political scheme, he marries her off to Reid of Mireh, a ruthless foreign ruler, in hopes that he can use her death as a rallying cry to finally invade Reid’s nation.” source
• Court Intrigue: “combines high-stakes political intrigue and a steamy, slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romance.” source
• Curse: “After losing her mother—her only remaining parent—to a mysterious dark magic that has since awakened within her” source
• Enemies to Lovers: “combines high-stakes political intrigue and a steamy, slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romance.” source
• High Heat: “a steamy, slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romance.” source
• Marriage of Convenience: “Reid offers her a deal: help him win the votes to rise in power, and she can walk free.” source
• Slow Burn: “combines high-stakes political intrigue and a steamy, slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romance.” source
• Strong Heroine: “Vaasa enters her new marriage with every intent to escape it, wielding the hard-won political prowess and combat abilities her late father instilled in her.” source

Metadata source: Google Books. Quotes are used only to verify the tags.