The Ruby Dice

Über

The Ruby Dice is a 2009 science fiction novel. Written by Catherine Asaro, the book wraps up many of the events of Saga of the Skolian Empire.
Two men, two empires. Jaibriol III rules the Eubian Concord: over two trillion people across more than a thousand worlds and habitats. Kelric rules the Skolian Imperialate. Ten years ago, Jaibriol lost his parents in the final battle of the Radiance War between the Concord and the Imperialate. Now war again threatens to devastate vast swathes of the galaxy.
Neither Jaibriol nor Kelric want war, but neither is complete master of his realm. And each hides a secret that, if revealed, might be his downfall. Unbeknownst to most of his people, Jaibriol is a Rhon psion with telepathic abilities. Psions are treated as slaves by the Traders in the Eubian Concord—slaves tortured for the pleasure of their owners.
Kelric hides the truth about his whereabouts for nearly two decades during the war. He had been a prisoner and slave on the planet Coba, part of neither empire, until he managed to escape. If the Skolian Imperialate knew of his captivity, demands for vengeance would ravage Coba, killing the wife and children Kelric left behind when he escaped.