Jotham is King of the House of Protection. He is the youngest male ever to assume the position because of the sudden death of his father in Jotham's twentieth cycle. In the forty cycles since becoming King, he married his life mate, Lata, and lost her in a transport accident. He had two sons and lost his youngest, Dadrian, due to his son's own treachery. Now his first son, Barek, is interested in a woman and Jotham is going to find out everything about her that he can. Jacinda is from the House of Healing. She is the widow of an Assemblyman for the House of Protection. Stephan was her life mate even though he was twenty cycles older than her. His sudden death devastated her and if it weren't for her three children, she isn't sure she would have survived. In the cycles that have followed his death, she has learned to live with her loss and more importantly has learned that life can still be good. When Jotham summons Jacinda to the Palace, his only intent is for her to help him gather information on Amina, Jacinda's great-niece. That plan goes out the window when Jacinda refuses. She challenges not only his right to interfere in Barek's life but questions how he's lived his own since Lata's death. Two strong personalities come together after having loved and suffered the loss of that loved one. Can they find enough common ground and courage to chance a new love? Or are they destined to live the rest of their lives alone?