Alexander is doing his best to settle into life in Tournai's royal palace after years living outside the country due to his father's diplomatic work. The sense of belonging and home he feels is overwhelming, but none of his plans are going as he imagined. Many see him as only a lovely, charming adornment of the royal court and underestimate both his intelligence and abilities. His attraction to Marcus, a mysterious older man who does work for the prince, Alexander's cousin, is unexpected but not unwelcome...if Marcus could possibly see who Alexander really is. Lord Marcus is the second son of a minor noble family, a widower raising two children...and the prince's spymaster. He knows his work is necessary for the security of the kingdom and its royal family, but he also knows it can be distasteful and dangerous to him and those around him. Marcus has vowed never to fall in love again, never to put anyone else at risk--a promise threatened for the first time by the vibrant, flirtatious Alexander. The attraction is unwelcome and entirely undeniable. He can't believe someone like Alexander would want someone like him, but he also can't stay away. As they become ever more entangled, Marcus is investigating rumors of spies at work in Tournai's university. As he gets closer to uncovering their plot, Alexander is drawn deeper into danger. Can their love survive when Alexander is put in peril by the very spies Marcus is hunting for?