Winner's Trilogy Books in Order

This short story returns to Arin's childhood before the war that shapes the Winner's Trilogy. Set during a more peaceful period, it introduces the boy through the stories told in a world he has yet to lose.

A general's daughter expected to choose marriage or military service, Kestrel impulsively buys an enslaved young man named Arin. Their growing attachment and his concealed intentions entangle them in a conflict between personal desire and loyalty to their peoples.

Kestrel's engagement to the crown prince conceals the bargain she made for Arin's freedom. Working secretly against the empire from within its court, she risks exposure as a traitor while deception drives a deeper wedge between them.

As Arin fights the empire alongside uncertain allies, Kestrel struggles to escape a brutal prison camp. He misunderstands the sacrifices she made for him, and their prospects depend on surviving war and discovering the truth behind their separation.