Hitherto concealed in folds of time, the saga of Zarkanis and Colesia transcends all tales of amorous devotion. Captured as an infant, Princess Vayle is nurtured to maturity by Giralda—a covert sympathizer who serves as lady-in-waiting. Years pass before Colesia learns her real name. She is not pampered into the vain aristocrat King Dragus intends, but blooms into an industrious and sensitive young woman. A hint to her true identity occurs during childhood when she meets a boy under such mysterious circumstances that she thereafter wonders if she dreamed the entire affair. Later she learns that her biological parents were murdered by the evil dictator who arranged her royal upbringing. Will she embrace her heritage and become the woman Giralda envisions? Will she remain true to a dream prince who turns out to be the renowned dungeon swine?
The infant Prince Zarkanis is condemned to a life of solitary confinement. To prevent the Kingdom of Shareen from selecting an alternative king, Zarkanis is not slain. His only companion is a deaf and dumb babysitter—or so it is thought. How can Dametrius the Wise, the most sagacious philosopher to ever set foot in Gaul, achieve the goal of raising a suitable heir to the Sherean throne within the confines of a dungeon cell? Can he mold a warrior capable of deposing a tyrant, and yet shape a heart and mind suitable for courting a princess? Can he share truths regarding spiritual and social equality that will prepare a young prince to rule a kingdom? After his guardian’s death, Zarkanis continues arduous physical and mental training in solitude. When he breaches the barriers separating him from the woman he loves, he enters a world that will forever be altered by his passion, strength, and wisdom.
