The war against corrupted monsters from the Void may have ended, but much remains broken in Valentia, including its reluctant monarch. To save the kingdom from the destruction of civil war, Darius Marillion had to sacrifice his heart, agreeing to a marriage of convenience over one of love. Lady Arden Tanarian was born to wealth, bred to be a fine wife to a high lord. Despite her mother's best efforts, however, her passion for the decidedly unladylike fields of chemistry and elvish culture marks her as a different breed of woman. Though she's always been able to see the bright side of things,...