Catherine Asaro's popular saga of the Skolian Empire continues with the story of a young noblewoman, Kamoj Quanta Argali, who governs an impoverished province on a backward planet. To keep her people from starving, she has agreed to marry Jax Ironbridge, who rules the prosperous Ironbridge province. But before they can be wed, Kamoj is forced into marriage with a mysterious stranger from a distant star.This novel was serialized in Analog.