AustLit

'When Lord Velasin vin Aaro of Ralia is summoned home, he doesn’t expect to be offered a diplomatic marriage to a daughter of the ruling family of Qi-Katai in neighboring Tithena. When an ugly confrontation sees Velasin’s preference for men revealed to the Tithenai envoy, however, a very un-Ralian solution is proposed: that he marry the lord of Qi-Katai’s son instead. Accompanied by his friend and manservant, Markel, a shattered Velasin is taken to Tithena, where he has no idea what awaits him.

'Tiern Caethari Aeduria has known for years that marriage lay in his future; he just didn’t think it would happen with the Ralian intended for his sister. But when Velasin arrives in Qi-Katai, it soon becomes clear that an unknown faction is set against their union, while Velasin himself is wrestling with more than culture shock. As the danger escalates, Caethari and Velasin must learn to trust each other in order to survive – and maybe make a marriage in the process.' (Publication summary)