Purple-eyed Adarte, blue-eyed Adolte. One enveloped in light—the graceful son—and one shrouded in darkness—the prisoner. Even as their souls are drawn together, destiny would tear them apart. Elsewhere in the kingdom, a heroic king is served by an enigmatic aide from a faraway land. His path has torn him from his dearest kin and placed him in the halls of power—to what end...? The first of Asumiko Nakamura’s beautifully wrought tales set in a fantastic kingdom of intrigue and heartache...
Purple-eyed Adarte, blue-eyed Adolte. One enveloped in light—the graceful son—and one shrouded in darkness—the prisoner. Even as their souls are drawn together, destiny would tear them apart. Elsewhere in the kingdom, a heroic king is served by an enigmatic aide from a faraway land. His path has torn him from his dearest kin and placed him in the halls of power—to what end...? The first of Asumiko Nakamura’s beautifully wrought tales set in a fantastic kingdom of intrigue and heartache...
Shao and Dao: twin brothers who face an uncertain future. One will be chosen to lead the clan, while the other’s family line will end. As the superior rider and archer, Shao seems the obvious choice, but when a terrible injury leaves him unable to do either, the elders’ decision becomes less straightforward. Far from wishing the worst for his brother, but fearful of facing that fate himself, Dao’s conflicted feelings lead him and Shao to forge a new path ahead—one that only one brother may tread...
Shao and Dao: twin brothers who face an uncertain future. One will be chosen to lead the clan, while the other’s family line will end. As the superior rider and archer, Shao seems the obvious choice, but when a terrible injury leaves him unable to do either, the elders’ decision becomes less straightforward. Far from wishing the worst for his brother, but fearful of facing that fate himself, Dao’s conflicted feelings lead him and Shao to forge a new path ahead—one that only one brother may tread...
Though the attempt on Dao’s life was thwarted by the king’s intervention, salvation has come at a price. He was ready to acquiesce to whatever was demanded of him in return for his life, but nothing could have prepared Dao for what he would encounter in the king’s private chamber— or what service he would be asked to perform. A king and his attendant, each haunted by painful memories of the past, each with a role to play in the future of the kingdom...
Though the attempt on Dao’s life was thwarted by the king’s intervention, salvation has come at a price. He was ready to acquiesce to whatever was demanded of him in return for his life, but nothing could have prepared Dao for what he would encounter in the king’s private chamber— or what service he would be asked to perform. A king and his attendant, each haunted by painful memories of the past, each with a role to play in the future of the kingdom...
Two young men, one woman. Two princes, and only one throne. On the path to power, many sacrifices have been made, and more still will be required. How far are the brothers willing to go in pursuit of their deepest desires—and vengeance…?
Two young men, one woman. Two princes, and only one throne. On the path to power, many sacrifices have been made, and more still will be required. How far are the brothers willing to go in pursuit of their deepest desires—and vengeance…?
The crown prince of Sharibalte walks the lonely halls of his vast palace, his mother’s sanity lost, his brother turned against him, and his father, the king, dead. Ascending to the throne at last, the bold new ruler, now known as the Moonlight King, launches a war of conquest against the neighboring countries. Drunk on his victories, he demands the seaside nation of Péan hand over their twelfth princess as his consort—only to discover his new bride is still but a young girl…
The crown prince of Sharibalte walks the lonely halls of his vast palace, his mother’s sanity lost, his brother turned against him, and his father, the king, dead. Ascending to the throne at last, the bold new ruler, now known as the Moonlight King, launches a war of conquest against the neighboring countries. Drunk on his victories, he demands the seaside nation of Péan hand over their twelfth princess as his consort—only to discover his new bride is still but a young girl…