"Before our marriage," the king vowed, a malicious smile playing around his mouth, "you will submit to me. You will call me your king."
Eada, the empress of Tria, was promised to the king of Vasda as the only way to keep peace between their two countries. As consequence, she must travel out of her own country and into the vast desert of Vasda where the perilous court of King Spyre awaits. Due to the king's infamous temper, she knows she must tread carefully.
However, since this marriage would never have been her choice, Eada has no interest in the king. He is determined to change that. As time passes, she realizes the gods are against her when things begin to unravel, and she discovers that she's not the only one in danger.
She had admired the Prince since childhood, harboring a secret dream of one day being with him. To achieve that dream, she had made herself a laughingstock, begging the Emperor for his hand in marriage. Now, she endured his harsh treatment, enduring emotional, mental, and physical torment. And yet, a flicker of joy still danced in her eyes, a smile gracing her lips even as her heart, slowly and surely, withered away.