Everet has finally settled into the unexpectedly monotonous life at Veld Martiale's Hadryan's court in Vasque, and the doldrums of summer are doing nothing to improve his mood. Alaric thinks he may have just the pick-me-up, as he concocts a plan to lure Everet out of the safety of the Capitole's walls and off to the eastern shores for a lovers' retreat.