Brown: Grisaille in Sand and Sunset (Corvo and Ardan #1)

Corvo is a historian working for the Tiberian government diplomatic service when he's sent to the planet Biryan to make peace between his homeworld and the Biryani nation of Balcon. The peace-making process presents problems -- and potential -- of its own, in the person of Ardan.Ardan is the Balcon sacrifice offered to Corvo as a slave in order to assure peace. While Corvo knows he must accept this man as his slave, it is not the way of his people and he must balance carefully between his morals and his duty to keep the peace. Will he be able to navigate the diplomatic waters without setting off any mines?