Queen Giabella of Athawick should be happy. Her children are all married and in love, her land is at last at peace and she’s about to have more freedom than she’s experienced in her whole life. And yet she’s…restless. Only one man has been able to settle her during times of trouble: her longtime personal secretary, Dashiell Talbot. So when they’re asked to do a tour of Athawick to celebrate their upcoming democratic elections, she knows she’ll be well taken care of. And she agrees.

Dash has served his queen for a decade and it has been the joy of his life. And the challenge, considering all he ever wants to do is touch her. But that is not his place and he has always been able to control himself before, nothing will be different now.

Except that Gia is starting to have trouble controlling her own desires and everything that has been hidden, suppressed, denied is about to bubble to the surface with an explosion of powerful passion. Will they be able to find a path to a real future? Or will the past keep them apart once again?

CW: Emotional abuse (described)