Book Five of The Stormpaintress Saga
The Blue King Vorgentah Panzerhand meets an enemy of vast power that he struggles to handle on a ten year sojourn deep in an oubliette. Vorgentah's battle is with a dynamic physical and psychological brute, a demi-
power of sadistic bent, determined to twist the King's mind around her finger and wear him like a trophy. But finally, gaining their freedom from the divinely set trap, both come out altered by their experiences. Vorgentah's world has changed beyond hope and no manner of restitution is possible, he loses his
place in the hierarchy of Siriol, much of his wealth and is made to begin again somewhere else to avoid the upheaval of regime conflict.