In the land of Taletha, the Wife Market is the prime place for young lords to find a spouse. But it’s not the place for love, something Inara knows all too well. After six years of rejection, she has no hope of being chosen for anything other than a plaything. But when Dhamar, the future ruler of Taletha, arrives at the Market, Inara lets down her guard and is chosen. More shocking still, it seems as if Dhamar is exactly what he appears to be: kind, gentle, and wanting to build a relationship of mutual respect and trust. Yet Dhamar has his own demons to fight. With a tyrannical father pushing war with the Šerians in the south, a scheming council that only cares about their own gain, and the burden to protect those he loves, Dhamar is stretched thin. He wants to be a good husband to Inara, but how? Thrown together by chance, Inara and Dhamar must decide whether or not breaking down their walls will reveal something beautiful, or if it will only leave shattered pieces behind.