Synopsis: From the back cover of a DAW paperback printing: The price of life - Akeela was the king of Liiria. Young and idealistic, he was determined to bring peace to his kingdom - a land that had been plagued by war with the neighboring realm of Reec for decades. A scholar, a dreamer, and an academic, it was the size of his heart and the strength of his vision which made him a great man. Lukien was the Bronze Knight of Liiria. Handsome as a god, and strong as a gladiator, nevertheless Lukien's soul was shadowed by his past. For though he had been taken in by the royal family when, at the age of fourteen, he saved Akeela's life, he had never forgotten the brutal lessons of the streets. A bond of loyalty stronger than blood linked these two men - but no two souls could not have been more different. As as Akeela and Lukien entered their enemy's stronghold on a mission of peace, neither man could foresee the turmoil this historic journey would wreak on their lives. For to seal the peace, King Karis of Reec would bestow upon Akeela the hand of his charming, beautiful, and accomplished daughter Cassandra. But Cassandra hid a terrible secret. She was experiencing the first symptoms of a disease which would threaten her life and cause unimaginable strife for all who loved her. For Akeela and Lukien, the quest for Cassandra's salvation would overwhelm every bond of loyalty, every point of honor, every dream of peace. For only the magical amulets known as the Eyes of God could halt the progress of Cassandra's illness. But the Eyes of God would also open the way to a magical stronghold which could tear their world apart and redefine the very nature of their reality.