Isaak is the last of the sacred Padisha line, raised from childhood as a pretty, docile toy traded between rival kingdoms, known to all by a honeyed nickname: the sweet lotus prince. Waking from amnesia after a bullet grazed his skull, he has spent ten years believing the gentle lie woven around him by Karsyn, the emperor who saved him-until he uncovers the hidden toys under his childhood floorboards, and the ugly truth his whole world has buried. Everyone lied to him to keep him compliant. Everyone saw him as nothing more than a pretty decoration for a crown. Only Karsyn has carried the truth for ten years: he killed the monster who hurt Isaak, blurred the voyeur's eyes in every painting, and asked the healer to erase Isaak's pain. He has loved Isaak since he was sixteen, hiding in plain sight, burning the world to keep him safe. When all lies are stripped away, will the awakened last Padisha choose vengeance... or the love that has always waited for him?