Born a slave, Dekteon knows his life's course is grimly predictable. But, while escaping his Lord's hounds, he finds himself drawn into a strange world. There he meets Zaister, the consort of the Moon King, who, like all royal consorts, is destined by tradition to die an early death. To save himself, he has used his magic powers to draw Dekteon to him, and change their identities - Zaister becomes Dekteon, and Dekteon, Zaister. Despite being in Zaister's body, Dekteon retains much of his own personality, and, slowly, begins to win the heart of Izvire, the woman Moon King. Just before her husband is due to be killed, Izvire schemes to save him, at great risk... But Dekteon knows that if he permits this to happen, Zaister, in his own body, will be condemned to the fate of a slave. And so he hatches a plan which will save them both...