The prince first kissed Kate Carpenter for fear of missing the chance if they didn't survive the journey home through the monster-prowled mountains. Now that kiss seems like a fever dream. It's back to work for her, back to the fellow physicians jealous of her talents and the sneers of an infirmary director who wants her shipped off to some tiny village. Kate means to be on the front lines to save lives. She's worked too hard to overcome her past to let them deny her the chance to serve her homeland when the enemy's army reaches their kingdom. The grand jousting tournament is a chance to prove she can manage combat wounded, and at the royal Solstice banquet Kate means to prove she isn't an ignorant peasant girl anymore. But the prince's kiss still haunts her. Their paths keep crossing, and the easy familiarity they earned on the journey home is a welcome escape from their duties. It's a small slip from chatting to kisses. This is no time to be distracted by romance -- a vast and powerful empire is coming to slaughter anyone standing between them and the kingdom's magical fount. Kate ought to break both their hearts, for duty's sake.