A Strange and Stubborn Endurance (The Tithenai Chronicles, #1)

Pitched as Byzantine politics with lush sexual energy, A Strange and Stubborn Endurance is a queer love story that is by turns sweet and sultry, and an exploration of gender, identity, and self-worth. When an ugly confrontation reveals his preference for men, Vel fears he's ruined the diplomatic union before it can even begin. But while his family is ready to disown him, the Tithenai envoy has a different solution: for Vel to marry his former intended's brother instead. Caethari Aeduria always knew he might end up in a political marriage, but his sudden betrothal to a man from Ralia, where such relationships are forbidden, comes as a shock. With an unknown faction willing to kill to end their new alliance, Vel and Cae have no choice but to trust each other. Survival is one thing, but love—as both will learn—is quite another.