Julien always thought he knew his duty...until an arranged marriage upends his future. Prince Julien of Escarland was the kingdom's spare. His duty is to quietly stand in the background at his brother's side, protecting him and his heirs. Julien's younger siblings might have duties as ambassadors or in a marriage of alliance that would take them away from Escarland, but not Julien.

Yet when it becomes clear that one more marriage is needed to secure the three-way alliance between the kingdoms of Kostaria, Tarenhiel, and Escarland, Julien agrees to an arranged marriage with a troll. He doesn't know their language, and he might not be strong enough to fit into their battle-focused culture, but other than that, how bad could it be?

Vriska always thought she knew her future. As King Rharreth's shield sister, she is duty-bound to protect him and his queen. But she never expected her duty to include an arranged marriage with a human, of all people.

An empire-hungry kingdom is lurking, seeking any weakness in the alliance. Will this final bond safeguard the alliance, or cause it to crumble? And can Julien and Vriska find love in a relationship based on duty?

Return to the snowy mountains of Kostaria in this final installment of the best-selling Elven Alliance series!