When Dravengarde's armies conquer her homeland, royal physician Nerida Biko becomes a reluctant prize of war. Sharp-minded, unyielding, and sworn to heal, she is bound to serve the very king who razed her city-Einar Aesir, a battle-hardened monarch with a secret devotion that burns beneath his brutal exterior.
But as court intrigues fester and old alliances fracture, Einar names Nerida his Princess Paramour, upending every rule of power, loyalty, and propriety. Her heart, once guarded, falters. His enemies sharpen their knives.
Meanwhile, K re, the queen's brother and Einar's former ally, seeks to turn crown and country against them both.
In a kingdom poised to collapse under the weight of war, plague, and betrayal, one woman must choose: heal the man who destroyed her world, or let the realm burn.