Shamshir, Prince of Azure has only two things on his mind: becoming a competent ruler and the destruction of Daure. The last thing on his mind is marriage, and especially not marriage to a deranged and dimwitted daughter of the Daurian king - Azure's most ancient enemy. Rasha, formerly known as Princess Saira of Daure, has only one thing on her mind: Peace in the Valley. She has tried asking her father to step down from the throne so she could become Queen and end the war. He laughed at her and threw her in the dungeon. She tried to forcibly dethrone him by taking command of an army. He had her banished and put a bounty on her head. But now she has a different scheme: She will bear a son with the Prince of Azure and her son will be king of both kingdoms. The hard part is how to convince the prince to comply with her wishes...