The war is over. The politics have just begun. And in Aethelgard, the tongue is often deadlier than the blade.

Nara and Kavin have done the impossible: they've conquered their sector of Aethelgard. Now, Nara is crowned the "Violet Queen," draped in velvet purple and noir shadows. But she quickly learns that ruling an empire is far harder than fighting for one.

In a palace where it never stops raining, every corridor hides an assassin, and every smile masks a "Royal Court" betrayal.

While Nara fights for her crown, Kavin fights for his soul. No longer just a soldier, he is torn between his new role as Royal Consort and the lethal "Weapon" he was born to be.

But when a rival faction strikes with a deadly poison, the time for politics is over. To find the antidote, Kavin must descend into the under-city on a blood-soaked rampage, proving to the world?and to his Queen?that beneath the velvet, he is still the monster she loves.

The reign has begun. Long live the Queen.