Mara of Acoma, Ruling Lady of her house, is a force to be reckoned with when playing the bloody politics of the Game of the Council.
She's made great gains for her followers within the Empire, including valuable new lands. But they need cultivating, and slaves are in short supply due to th incessant war effort against Midkemia.
Mara knows you don't get far without taking a gamble, so against advice she buys a group of Midkemian prisoners-of-war, only to discover that one of them is a noble: Kevin, third son of the Baron of Zun. When she interviews him, it becomes apparent that he may be of great use in the Game of the Council . . .
