An Iron Age Fantasy with heart.
"When you long for Axarmania's daughter you're longing for somebody who no longer exists. She is no longer the young woman who shared your bed. She's a bonded woman who's raising children and looking after her bond. You hold a memory of a woman who is no more and fool yourself that you long for her. She's a story. She's not real anymore."
No longer a boy but not yet a man, Gourdia knows what it's like to feel the pain of sacrifice for the sake of his people. As leader of the Drokart, he couldn't have the woman he loved. He tries to soothe the pain with other women he can have but also not keep.
Kaisha is the tan-skinned daughter of Wodabar, leader of the Miearnart. Her father wants an alliance with the Drokart to help protect his lands from the advance of the Thavocurian Empire in the south. The alliance is worth the price of a daughter to acquire it, so he sends Kaisha to Karshdaliard to become Gourdia's.
Problem is, Gourdia doesn't want her, and she doesn't want him. If this isn't complicated enough, there're refugees coming into both lands from the south, fleeing the coming Thavocurians. Then there are further complications from two young boys, their father, and Kaisha's Lilthling mentor.
Although they don't want it, they need each other for the sake of the survival of both their peoples.
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Just to let you know, there's swearing and blokey dialogue in these pages. There's also mention of sex but nothing explicit.
