The Prince used to dance — until he discovered the strings moving his legs.  The Rebel used to hope — until reality slammed a door in her face.  The Spy used to live for nothing but money — until he found himself a family.  And the Slave craved freedom more than air — until a small hand reached to her for help.  Eskela has known conflict for centuries. War had been engrained into the very soil of every one of the eight kingdoms, and blood has been smeared over history to paint a lie. When young prince Aldric, heir to the Aguki throne, learns his position is nothing but a farce, his world crumbles down around him. As he tries desperately to find power in a world determined to rob him of it, his cousin Rhiann plots to find freedom through more extreme and destructive means.  Conflict does not reside in Cinthra alone, though.  Erden, newly hired spymaster for the crown prince of Promnir, is tasked with keeping an eye on the kingdom’s council. The job that was supposed to just be about money quickly spirals into a fierce loyalty, one that leads him to the front lines in order to desperately prevent another war from beginning.  Azala, a slave bought by the royal family of Azmosir, finds her loyalty is not nearly as solidified as that of Erden’s. But while the prince she serves plots to steal that which does not belong to him and the queen she respects holds on to a lingering desire for revenge, Azala realizes that she must choose whom to save: herself or Azmosir's defenseless and young princess.