In the land of Taletha, the Wife Market is the prime place for young lords to find a spouse?but 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 but a plaything. When the future ruler of Taletha arrives at the Market, Inara is chosen. More shocking still, Dhamar is exactly what he appears to be: kind, gentle, and willing to build a relationship of mutual respect and trust. Yet Dhamar has his own demons to fight. With a tyrannical father pushing for war with the ?erians, a scheming council, and the burden to protect those he loves, Dhamar is stretched thin. He wants to be a good husband to his wife, but how?Thrown together by chance, will breaking down their walls reveal something beautiful, or leave only shattered pieces behind?