Eighteen-year-old Katerina Coleville's, princess of Almeirem, future is not hers to decide. She's no more than a pawn to her father, the ruthless, power-hungry king, who wants to use marriage to his daughter as an incentive to expand his empire. His ideal candidate is the Crown Prince of Espola, Griffin Holbrook.Prince Griffin has no intention of marrying, but that changes when he witnesses the King of Almeirem parading his daughter before a group of influential and important heads of state, dangling the idea of marriage to her for any concessions he can achieve. The last thing Griffin wants is this arrangement, but he can't help protecting the girl that made such an impression on him when they were children. The only means available to him to save her is marriage.Rafe Falkner has never wanted anything more than to be in the royal guards, but he's ready to throw all of that away to keep the princess safe, even if it means committing treason. Katerina is more than just the princess to him; she is his reason for everything he does, as he's been in love with her since their childhood, though he's never admitted that to himself.As these two men work together to save a woman they've both come to care for, Katerina has to find her inner strength to save herself and those around her. Being the princess has never meant anything to her but a burden. Yet now, she must learn what it truly means to be a ruler.