As the future queen of Roven, Aeliss might be accustomed to getting what she wants, but there is one thing that's always been just out of her reach: a mate. When she finally discovers him, she is thrilled to find that her destined mate is Caedion, one of her mother's most decorated knights. Aeliss' happiness is shattered when she discovers him on their wedding night, kneeling before the grave of his fallen lover, swearing that he will never love another. Her priorities shift in an instant. First and foremost, she will free herself from the bond that is clearly destined to bring her nothing but heartache. Caedion's life has revolved around one goal: doing the right thing. When he sees the pain he has wrought on his fated mate, he knows he must fix it, no matter the cost. However, as he gets to know Aeliss, he starts to realize that letting her go was the greatest mistake of his life. The woman he saw as a spoiled and entitled princess is now the one person he cannot bear to lose. Aeliss' success will mean Caedion's devastation. But the stakes are higher than either of them know.

Bread, grass, and rose. Plain, common, and uselessly fragile. The girl Solin was, who loved Aurik from the moment she met him, died when she heard his description of her. A new woman rose from the ashes. Two years later, Solin returns to the city of Tibalt, where the high society of the Kingdom of Aivieria gathers during the autumn, winter, and spring seasons. Widowed and carrying the knowledge that she will likely discover the mark of her mate within a year, Solin intends to use her last few months of freedom to enjoy herself before she settles down. The escort she chooses for her new, excitingly wild life? King Aurik, the man who ended her old one. And he's certainly not enjoying himself (ask Solin if she cares). It's about time the world was reminded that roses have thorns.