The enemy is dead. The battle has only just begun. Red and Aly thought they had eliminated the greatest to their lives, but as they return from their trip north, a new enemy rises from within their own ranks, threatening to rip Red and Aly apart. Lord Benedict Alexander has a distant claim to the throne, and he will do everything in his power to usurp Red's rule before the official coronation at summer's end. Convinced Red was corrupted by his trip into the Canyon, Lord Alexander fights to destroy Red's kingship, and with it, Red's Binding to Aly. Now Red must earn the trust of his countrymen, not only to retain his throne and continue his fight against Kassia and the Canyon, but to keep Aly as well, for Aly is bound to serve the crown, no matter who wears it. Fight for the crown. Fight for love. Or lose them both.