Rhiannon Auclair is the crown princess. So she ought to be the future monarch of Calravia, right? She might be but perhaps in name only. Taking a husband has never appealed to her, but discovering he might very well be the defacto ruler of her country didn't make it any more appealing. This is what everyone wants, but she hardly wants to smile and play queen. Lucky for her, the queen dowager agrees, and when she's involved, no granddaughter of hers is going to play second fiddle regarding her birthright. But what happens when a situation, one not even the queen dowager can shield Rhiannon from, presents itself? Rhiannon has always been warned about the deceptive nature of people and to be wary of everyone, especially those close to her. But she disregards that advice in favor of a companion to unburden her heart. A mistake that exposes her not just to the dangers of her own court but also to the wild intricacies of the outside world. Now she finds herself in a reality she wasn't properly trained for, where one wrong move could result in her death. But she's determined not to let that happen. Will her determination win, or will she find herself at the other end of a sword?