Sabine has come to Sakk, a winged female, a prize match. Her mate will be an older male, a general or master general. She has no choice in that. The only power she has is to refuse an abusive mate.
Sahtahn has no intention of fighting to approach the prize match, but when Sabine is attacked on her way to the riser, he changes his mind. She's not the cold woman he'd believed her. She's a frightened young woman in need of a gentle hand. If she accepts his advances, he will have the greatest prize imaginable.