Playing the hand you are dealt is something everyone has to learn. It doesn't matter if you're a sorceress or a schoolgirl, a princess or even a king. You might have a magic ring or be the queen, but none of this means your choices will be easy when it comes to marriage, love, or war. In this short story collection, you will see how 6 different characters figure out how to lead, follow suit, or fold. Also, enjoy a preview of Old Habits Die Hard, Book 5 in the Reign of the Eagle series, and a never-before-seen floorplan of the Prince's Palace in Rawdon, one of the vital locations in the Myrcia novels.

Choices have consequences, whether it's studying for an exam, going out for that fancy job, or marrying in haste. Sometimes, the consequences are immediate, but they can also take an entire career to unfold or even centuries. See how just a few of the choices made by bankers, sorcerers, and monks can shape the future in these standalone fantasy short stories.

These stories are about hopes and dreams and wishes. They're about characters realizing they've wanted the wrong things all along. They're about characters getting their fondest dream and finding it's not what they expected.They're about wishes that can never be fulfilled. They're about people who achieve their deepest desires, without understanding that it's all slipping away from them. We've got Morwyn Byrne, beautiful and intelligent daughter of a proud noblewoman, who discovers a higher calling. There's Molly Coburn, running out of money and ready to do anything to change her fortune. There's Timothy Woolrich, a promising young man who doesn't yet understand how far down the social ladder he is. There's Penny Ostensen, who only wants to find a school to match her intellect, but instead gets a front row seat to her parents' collapsing marriage. And there's Lawrence Swithin, Earl of Hyrne, who's started a relationship with a woman out of his league, but she's got plans for him that he never sees coming.

Growing up is hard for everyone, but when you're a member of a, frankly, terrible family, royalty, or both, it's especially hard. See how the future leaders of Myrcia came of age in these standalone fantasy short stories.

Faced with a loveless political marriage, Princess Alice, younger sister of the king, takes her best friend, Jennifer, and runs off to join a mercenary company. War is brewing in the east, and the Immani Empire needs all the troops they can get, so they won't ask questions about a pair of young ladies dressed as knights. Not with vast new silver mines at stake. The infamous sorcerer Faustinus controls the puppet strings, and he's got a plan to solve the Empire's financial troubles once and for all. At his side is the irrepressible Gina Brembana—professional spy, retired acrobat, and full-time optimist. She'll stop at nothing to rescue Alice, assuming Alice wants to be rescued. But they'll have to look out for a handsome prince who's a little too good to be true and a sorcerer-for-hire with a very personal reason for hating Faustinus. Add a dash of greed and a pinch of romance in a swirling mix of deadly peril, and you have A Tincture of Silver.

Home from the army and bored with war, Andras Byrne just wants to enjoy himself. But his mother, the most powerful duchess in Myrcia, has finally lost patience with Broderick Gramiren, the usurper. In a desperate move, the duchess sends Andras to arrange a marriage alliance with Princess Elwyn Sigor, who wants nothing to do with Andras or his family. Princess Donella, daughter of Broderick, isn't about to let Andras get away that easily. Torn between the courtly romances of her imagination and her duty to her friend, Donella will have to decide just how far she is willing to go to stop Andras from marrying the wrong person. And she will discover what happens when a princess stops being a lady.

Shifting alliances and passions will determine the future of the Kingdom of Myrcia, but in which direction? While kings and courtiers try to set up strategic marriages, others hope to marry for love, or not marry at all. And in the meantime, sorcerers and outside influences make their own attempts to determine the kingdom's next stage. The action picks up where the Of Duty and Silver series leaves off, although the six novels in the Reign of the Eagle series can be wholly enjoyed on their own.