When Crown Princess Ava of the Southern Empire selects royal guards, she falls for Damon, the Western Empire’s prince disguised as a bodyguard. She pours out her affection only to be coldly rejected. Damon mistakes the scheming illegitimate daughter Blair for his savior, endures hardships for her and repeatedly hurts Ava. Heart-broken Ava accepts rich terms and agrees to marry cursed Northern Prince Cole. By the time Damon sees through the fraud and repents, Ava has won Cole’s quiet devotion. Though Damon abandons his status to atone, wounded Ava cuts off the past. She rules her realm and forms a dragon-soul bond with Cole for a happy ending.
