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)

'With the plot against them foiled and the city of Qi-Katai in safe hands, newlywed and tentative lovers Velasin and Caethari have just begun to test the waters of their relationship. But the wider political ramifications of their marriage are still playing out across two nations, and all too soon, they're summoned north to Tithena's capital city, Qi-Xihan, to present themselves to its monarch.

'With Caethari newly invested as his grandmother's heir and Velasin's old ghosts gnawing at his heels, what little peace they've managed to find is swiftly put to the test. Cae's recent losses have left him racked with grief and guilt, while Vel struggles with the disconnect between instincts that have kept him safe in secrecy and what an open life requires of him now. Pursued by unknown assailants and with Qi-Xihan's court factions jockeying for power, Vel and Cae must use all the skills at their disposal to not only survive, but thrive.

'Because there's more than one way to end an alliance, and more than one person who wants to see them fail...and they will resort to murder if needed.' (Publication summary)