August and Laurence have been lovers for years, and it's a love August has never had any cause to doubt, even if Laurence is also his employer—until they arrive in Umbra and meet Queen Maeve, the woman Laurence is to marry.It's immediately clear to August that Maeve is more than a little interested in Laurence, and as the gap between him and his lover widens, Laurence growing increasingly reserved and distant, August fears the moment he's always dreaded is near to hand.And the end of their relationship might be easier to accept if he could hate Maeve, but asking him to hate the beautiful, intriguing Maeve would be like asking him to stop loving the Lord he's served and adored so long. Which just makes August more miserable than ever, and waiting for the moment when he's finally cast out.