Exile (Daughters of Persephone #1)

Princess-in-exile, Aja Bokinan, is the Thousand Year Empress. While her family has remained in forced isolation for nearly thirty years, women throughout the empire have been banned from public life. Females have no legal standing and they have become little better than property. The restoration of the monarchy is their only hope. Revolution threatens the male dominated Coalition. Resistance forces expect the Princess to be the salvation of the empire. The ruling generals fear she will be its destruction.
Kyr Aram, is a smuggler and secret Resistance sympathizer. He must find a way to protect the Princess from both the general who plans her assassination and a traitor on his own ship who wishes to see her dead. Kyr believes she is no more than valuable cargo. With the Thousand Year Empress, he gets more than he bargained for.