With enemies gathering both beyond the kingdom’s borders and within the royal court, a paranoid king becomes convinced that his only daughter is no longer safe. Unable to trust his own knights, he makes a desperate choice: hiring Kael Veyr, a notorious mercenary whose loyalty belongs to coin alone. The princess is never asked for her opinion. Suddenly forced to spend her days under the watch of a man who respects neither crowns nor courtly traditions, she finds herself constantly clashing with her new guardian. Kael is blunt, cynical, and utterly indifferent to her title, while she has spent her entire life surrounded by people who treat her like something precious. As conspiracies tighten around the throne and danger draws closer, the unlikely pair must learn to navigate a world of political intrigue, betrayal, and growing trust. What begins as a contract between a king and a mercenary may become something neither of them ever expected.