For twenty-year-old Arina Alderon, power means everything. She is a Princess of Tameron, but only in title. As a third-born daughter, she has no claim to the throne or army like her brothers-instead, Arina learned to navigate her life of isolation in the Iron Palace with only her own wits and will-power. As one of the nine royal Houses, her bloodline belongs to the highest rank of magically gifted demi-gods: the High Avari. But unlike the rest of her family, Arina was born without magic-condemning her to a life of misery at the bottom of the food chain. With the arrival of eligible princesses from across the Nine Realms to court her brother Tiberius, Arina is surrounded by even more formidable people, reminding her of her insignificance. Worse still, her mother demands that Arina marry one of the equally rich and insufferable suitors in Tameron's Court-leaving her more desperate than ever to find freedom. When fate intervenes and she meets Ren, the mortal guard now sworn to protect her, he offers her the chance to train her body and hone her mind to become more than just a powerless princess.