A land in ruin...Rani Trader's beloved homeland of Morenia has been destroyed by fire. The only hope for rebuilding is for King Halaravilli to marry a wealthy princess from distant Liantine. Rani must set aside her own feelings to journey with the king, to negotiate for his bride.In Liantine, Rani soon discovers a tangle of powerful entities: the wealthy Spiderguild with its monopoly on trade in silk and the brutal royal family, who have turned away from worship of the Thousand Gods. Even more intriguing, Rani finds the Players, traveling entertainers who have hoarded glassmaking secrets, guild-based knowledge that Rani craves.Knowledge, though, always has a price. Can Rani strike a bargain that will save her homeland, her king, and her own heart?