Edrir's snowy mountains are a force only matched by the corruption of its government. For a poor country blacksmith, the idea of facing this government, this Council, is his own personal hell. And yet, life is full of the unexpected. What's difficult is navigating foreign waters with no sail or compass, no raft with extra room to save him. Things can change overnight. For an heiress, that's a simple fact. She is used to corruption, to exploitation, to power. It is her lifeblood, bidden or unbidden. Kaldir, home to the Council, is full of all the nasty, beautiful parts of life. Enter ye who dare. Perhaps a blacksmith? Or a princess?