Airya Shah would rather spend the rest of her life in the prison she thought she was being sent to.

Anything would be better than attending the academy of the nation that conquered her homeland.

Unfortunately, no one asked for her opinion.

Now a political hostage at Arete Academy, she's surrounded by the future rulers of the Republic that destroyed everything she loved. To survive, Airya wants to stay invisible, avoid picking fights, and keep her origins as a possible descendant of the Chimeric Clan hidden, or risk execution.

But the Republic’s future leader, who is also her classmate, discovers her secret.

To escape a death sentence and keep her secret buried, Airya proposes one last desperate bargain. Every morning, she rescues his signature midnight-blue hair from his own disastrous attempts to style it. Every morning, he keeps her secret.

It’s the most ridiculous deal she’s ever made.
It might also be her only chance of making it home alive.
Assuming they don’t kill each other first.

For readers who love painfully slow burns, chaotic ensemble casts, political intrigue, dark academia, and characters who really should not be left unsupervised.