The court of Queen Caesia I is the last place Major Sethraun Rognathson expected to fight battles. Far out of his depth and unprepared for the machinations of the fight ahead, the orc finds himself blundering through courtly proceedings in the only way his species knows: with brutish instinct. Trouble is, those impulses also involve a growing attraction to the Queen herself. Despite her ridicule, he wishes to claim her for himself.When the gentle Lady Visella is mortally wounded, collateral damage in the undertow of a much deadlier plot, Sethraun is thrust into a battle that he understands much more clearly. Presented with a letter that threatens to unravel all of his secrets and expose him to the Queen, he embarks on a journey of discovery that requires him to rely on every single one of his skills and ingenuity to uncover the deadly goings-on in the Queen's court before further tragedy strikes - all while balancing his growing need to protect and claim the woman he loves.