As the eldest daughter of the Priest King of Almohad, Jessamin had always known that her marriage would be a political affair. However, she didn’t anticipate being sent to the untamed wilderness of Norhaven to marry to a huge, terrifying orc king. But Ulric is nothing like she envisioned, and beneath his stern facade she glimpses a profound loneliness that mirrors her own. She longs to ease his burdens and make their marriage a true partnership, but he continues to keep her at a distance.

Ulric’s decision to marry Jessamin was based on political necessity, intended to solidify a tenuous alliance between their two kingdoms and provide Norhaven with a much needed ally. He hadn't anticipated his bride's captivating beauty and innate kindness, nor the desire she would awaken within him. His heart urges him to claim her, but how can he when so much more than his own happiness is at stake?

But dark forces are at work, and as Jessamin and Ulric navigate the treacherous terrain of politics and passion, the fate of the Five Kingdoms hangs in the balance.