Carriel has always been a free spirit despite her past being rough and full of grief. A chance encounter with Kasen Aulden, the king of Metarn at the age of sixteen alters her life forever. With his help, she creates a new life that is similar to the one that had been taken from her years earlier. Her wild nature is never far away and in an attempt to keep her safe and occupied, Kasen gives Carriel a mighty gift when she becomes an adult—a ship called The Disgraceful Demon. For ten years she sails around the world with her crew, living a wild life that is far from the refined lady she used to be. Kasen has a problem. In fact, he has several. Something is making him ill, his wife barely acknowledges him, orcs are hounding the north and he's in love with Carriel. In an attempt to solve the orc problem, Kasen asks Carriel to take him to Trosian. His plan to solve the orc plague is helped by the belief that the Trosian royal family performed an act of war against the Metarnese. All he needs to do is trap the king into admitting the truth. With a little luck, the trip to Trosian will help Kasen fix more than one of his issues. Neither Carriel nor Kasen thought that the trip would be anything more than an attempt to get an admission of guilt out of the Trosian king. Kasen will admit the truth to Carriel, he will tell her everything. He knows the past. He keeps the secrets. He vowed to protect Carriel no matter what. Danger lurks in the shadows and no matter how much he tries, Kasen cannot protect Carriel all the time.