Dr. Cynthia Ellen Conrad

1305 A.D. Being descended from great, though disgraced family, can be a greater curse than most. As a direct descendent of Simon de Montfort, Lady Gray de Montfort Serroux has lived her life with the axe of shame hanging over her head. Because of this, her marriage matches were limited and she wed a dishonorable man who widowed her when he was murdered in a gambling game. Left with a young daughter to support, Gray and her daughter and her mother have been living in poverty.

In a galaxy controlled by massive corporations, few worlds are truly free. When explorers find a priceless wormhole near Sidonia, the hostile attention of the Aquitaine Corporation focuses on the small backwater kingdom. To protect their world, Sidonia's royalty rush seventeen-year-old Princess Cosima into an arranged marriage, one that will guarantee a treaty and shield Sidonia from Aquitaine's clutches. But Cosima never asked for the honor of becoming the next queen to a man she doesn't love. With the fate of the planet hanging in the balance, a team of deadly assassins targets Cosima.