Princess Mercedes de Arango, the future empress of the Solar League, and her common-born classmate, Thracius "Tracy" Belmanor have at last secured their dream of becoming part of the elite officer corps, but they have lost the love they declared for each other. Mercedes has agreed to a loveless political marriage in order to secure her claim to the throne. Tracy is stationed far away on a battleship, struggling to help ordinary settlers crushed by an uncaring League. Now Mercedes, miserable in her marriage, faces decisions that will test her soul and perhaps destroy forever her strained friendship with Tracy. In a society where every alien and most humans are second-class citizens, Tracy and Mercedes wrestle with a stark decision: violate their own principles or betray a government they both swore to serve. In evil times, treachery might be the only option, but will they also betray each other and the love they once shared?