Publisher's Synopsis
Ten magical dragon stones of legend lie waiting to be found, eager to reveal their power to their next host as an ancient foe also calls to Annest, Queen of Fresia, from the depths of her home, Castle Belliword. This foe too searches for the stones. The Land of Fresia, the greatest stronghold of the west, is protected by the fearsome troopers, female Fresian knights feared by all.
Five women of Belliword are called upon by forces greater than they could imagine to answer to the lure of these stones: the young Queen Annest, hungry for power and harboring a secret (or two); the Princess Seren, sister and diplomat for Fresia who has an undiscovered tale of their own; Lady Bevan, the strongheaded queen's consort and general to the troopers; the beautiful Lady Edyta, who rose from nothing through sheer skill and determination to become a trooper captain; and a lowly peasant girl, Arahme, whose past and future are unknown--even to her.
The young Arahme arrives bloodied and beaten on the steps of Castle Belliword after having allegedly been assaulted by her husband. She is counseled on the dangers of the world of men outside the borders of Fresia and told she must now become a Queen's Trooper to protect herself. She is taken into the protection of the Troopers and trained to be a soldier of Fresia; however, Arahme knows in her heart that her husband would never try to hurt her. She then endeavors to prove this fact while held within the den of the dragon.
The lives of Arahme, Annest, Edyta, Bevan, and Seren will soon be intertwined in a series of events that will take them through an epic journey of ancient legend, lust, love, heartache, war, and blood. Can they save their lands from a dark fate? Will they be able to fight back against a tyrannical king and queen? Can they endure against a dark evil that awakens and beckons others to their side with the lure of lust and power?
