With magic running wild, and with the ancient emnity between the Istrian (think Ottoman) and Eyra (think Viking) violence is barely contained at the best of times. When the Eyra King Ravn is entranced by the beautiful Rosa Eldi, his command over his own forces wanes. Open warfare breaks out and the great fair is disrupted. All forces retreat to their strongholds, lick their wounds, and plot the next steps in the battle between kingdoms--little reckoning on the true war--that of magic--that lies beneath the surface.