With love, the line between happiness and heartache is all too easy to cross. One of Ylandre's most prominent nobles, Keosqe Deilen may have had it all in terms of wealth, power, and social rank. But in matters of the heart, he was impoverished. Such was the consequence of falling in unrequited love. Though he hides that love and his sorrow well, a few inevitably see through his masquerade. Young Tristen Marante is quick to discern Keosqe's pain. His blunt sympathy is a balm to Keosqe's wounded heart as much as his beauty is an effective distraction from the noble's hopeless yearning. But Tristen is a skittish would-be lover, whose reluctance to express his affection is as much an impediment as the lack of reciprocation from Keosqe's first love had been. Whereas Keosqe seeks intimacy, Tristen shies from it, suspicious of the motives behind his pursuit and unwilling to yield his heart so easily or soon. With such different perspectives toward lust and love, is it any wonder their path to a common goal is strewn with stumbling blocks and paved with false impressions?