Love is for the weak of mind.
Astra is queen of the Companion world. She has been at the king's side for ten years, but his interest is waning. If she can just hold on a little longer, she will take her rightful place as mentor and never share a man's bed again. But a single game of cards threatens to bring her future to ruins. The king's wager is a brutal reminder that she is replaceable, disposable—a prize to be won. Now she must find a way to survive outside the castle until she can find a way back inside its walls.
Dion is captain of the Galen army, a soldier, a humanitarian—and possibly a traitor. He does not believe in people as property, so the concept of a Companion is confronting. Mistress or slave? He cannot decide. The king's Companion seems content enough with her eternal smile and ability to command a room with just a tilt of her head and flash of blue eyes, but he sees past the painted face and rehearsed laughter. She is...