Book excerpt: A king to none and queen to all. The sacrificial lamb with a dragon’s heart must learn to roar to win the war. The binding between mankind and brethren lies with a brethren heir to mankind’s kingdom. Take tarragon to the Fae Court, to claim the riven sword. Uyan Taesil has always lived side by side with the brethren, but when King Mathhian returns from a quest with a new wife and an illness that steals his strength, the brethren of the castle begin to disappear. Discovering them imprisoned in the castle dungeons by Mathhian’s new wife, Queen Clareath, Princess Diandreliera decides to seek the Fae Court for aid and intervention. Gaining entry to the Fae Court is harder than it sounds in stories and Diandreliera’s efforts are unsuccessful until a good-witch recommends she seek the aid of a dragon, and Liera ventures into Aurien’s cave. Aurien is seeking a brethren bride, and a princess in his cave and bed will not help him to attract one. Can a princess of mankind save the brethren of Uyan Taesil and win her dragon’s heart?