What would you do if you were destined to save an Empire? If you were Valesa, you would run away and become a paid mercenary who likes her drink but loves the freedom her life gives her. Her latest job? To escort a human princess to a politically arranged marriage. Easy coin—until a drunken brawl lands them in a jail cell, a trio of royal guards arrives, and Valesa is summoned back to the imperial court she left decades ago. Torn between her past and present, Valesa must navigate a brewing storm of political upheaval, ancient rivalries, and a growing attraction to a warrior who might be more than just her escort home. As secrets from the Vila Empire begin to surface and danger lurks just behind them, Valesa must choose: return to a role she never wanted or walk away from a world that may need her now more than ever… or something more.