Ember

With the peace treaty signed, the island nation of Elyssia is free to rebuild and Caelin finally free to exercise her birthright. She dreams of shaping a nation of ideals-if her advisors would let her. Shut out of state affairs, it's not until a scrawny, angry mage breaks into her tower that she begins to realize the ideals may have been buried in favor of victory. Alain was so close to everything he'd ever wanted-until the siege on the Royal City fell apart. The Elyssian rebels captured him, beat him, worked him nearly to death. He seized an opportunity to escape and made for the site of his biggest failure, intending to use his prodigious magical talent to avenge his many losses. He wasn't expecting Caelin to commandeer his kidnapping attempt. She demands to be led to the prison camp so she can see it with her own eyes, and begrudgingly he agrees to lead her-if they aren't ensnared first by her treacherous advisors, his old comrades out for her blood, or, worst of all, their own feelings.