Chains of Gold — Nancy Springer

A doomed king and his wife-to-be attempt to flee their fate in this novel by “the finest fantasy writer of this or any decade” (Marion Zimmer Bradley).

Cerilla, the sheltered, castle-bound protagonist of this inventive and moving fantasy novel, is determined to escape her bloody fate: marriage to a king who is to be sacrificed after she bears his child. But Cerilla makes the monumental mistake of falling in love with her god-like husband to be -- Arlen of the Sacred Isle -- and he with her. Arlen's devoted comrade Lonn takes Arlen's place so the lovers can flee. But their escape is just the beginning of an odyssey marked by struggle and hardship as they cope with hyperboreal storms, near starvation, and attack by a band of armed horsemen. As they journey across harsh and fantastic lands, finally making a home beyond the Mountains of the Mysteries, Cerilla discovers how much she is willing to give up in the name of love.
 
Featuring a mythical world where horses gallop across water and serpents live beneath the earth, Chains of Gold is about finding your path in life, staying true to who you are, and the ultimate meaning of sacrifice. From a winner of the Tiptree Award and other honors, an author who “writes like a dream,” it's an unforgettable reading experience (St. Louis Post-Dispatch).