Jessica Tucker

Hero Jessica Tucker

Ivan loves one thing above all: family. After a mission to protect them fails, Ivan finds himself in charge of an entire princedom and his twelve sisters. He devotes himself to protecting these few things he has left, hoping to make up for his failure and deserve the title people have bestowed upon him: Prince Ivan the Hero. But nothing he does fills the hole in his heart. When an opportunity to save a princess arises, Ivan takes it, convinced that his chance to become a real hero has finally come. He can battle, he can fight, he's never lost. Surely he can beat a dragon. But Princess Inna is more than Ivan expected. She's kind, strong, and caring; though no one listens to her. As he helps her, she helps him, and Ivan finds himself wanting more than just titles and heroics. Inna is prepared to fight for what she wants, but Ivan must face his fears before he can be happy. (Inspired by Aleksandr Afanasyev's The Bold Knight, the Apples of Youth, and the Water of Life.)