In the final book, Irini returns to the throne. She tricks Constantine into divorcing Maria and exiles her and Constantine’s two daughters to Abbess Thekla’s island convent where Maria goes mad. Irini misleads Constantine into taking revenge on the soldiers who arrested her and the empire erupts into civil war, army against army, Irini against Constantine. Fearing for her life, Irini traps Constantine, wounding his eyes, but Thekla rescues him. Irini is finally empress in her own right. But will Thekla help her hold the throne?

Book 1 Betrothal & Betrayal Seventeen-year-old Thekla needs her quick wits and knife to track down her betrothed, a soldier who has left her at the altar for the third time. Elias the monk travels with her to Constantinople where she meets Irini of Athens, an extraordinarily beautiful orphan her same age who has been brought by powerful Emperor Constantine to marry his son, Co-Emperor Leon. The two women join forces to survive this vigorous capital of the Roman Empire of the East which is rocked by religious and political strife. But will Thekla help the ambitious and ruthless Irini of Athens find the power that she craves?  

Constantine’s father, Co-emperor Leon, dies unexpectedly, making Constantine emperor at age nine with Irini as Regent. Abbess Thekla’s loyalty to Irini shifts to Constantine as she watches Irini block his authority and keep the power herself. Irini makes Constantine wed the disliked Maria, prevents the Senate from naming him emperor in his own right at age 18, and imprisons him when he tries to stop her henchmen from amassing wealth and power. Constantine’s army friends free him, arrest her, and raise him to the throne. Resourceful as ever, Irini will not be thwarted. Can Thekla prevent them from murdering each other?

A jealous mother-in-law and six conniving step-brothers watch Irini closely as she weds Emperor Leon. A year later, pregnant, Irini calls on Thekla, her knife-wielding friend and abbess of an imperial convent, to bring her sharp wits and courage to Constantinople and get Irini through childbirth and keep the heir to the throne alive. But Irini’s powerful ambitions far exceed being docile wife and mother. Thekla complies with Irini’s demand for absolute loyalty because she owes Irini her life. But can she overcome her qualms about Irini’s vengeful nature and survive the bloody aftermath of Irini’s ruthless ambition?

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