Ordered to wed her father's choice of successor to the throne, seventeen-year-old Princess Alera of Hytania believes that marriage to the arrogant and hot-tempered Steldor is the worst of all possible fates. When the attractive and mysterious Narian arrives from enemy lands bearing different ideas about the roles of women, Alera's private desires threaten to destroy the kingdom. But the discovery of Narian's shocking past plunges Alera into a shadowy world of palace intrigue and ancient blood feuds, leaving her unsure what to believe or whom to trust.