When Maleen arrives in Dranneth, she hopes to connect with loyal Ardeners so they can plan to retake Arden from King Gregor and Prince Melanor of Pandor. She’s determined to accomplish this on her own terms: she’ll continue to hide behind the safety of the Dragon Fever veil and remain dead to Crown Prince Jared of Dranneth.

Maleen, Princess of Arden, longs to be free of her father’s plan to keep her safe from the Aharrans, a barbarous army threatening to invade their nation. He has given her two choices: exile in a tower that’s protected by the work of a Stone Sage, or marriage to Prince Jared of Dranneth, their ally to the north. Maleen chooses the tower, hoping it will give her beloved Prince Melanor of Pandor time to rescue her. But Melanor doesn’t arrive in time, and Maleen must come to terms with her decision.

Princess Maleen and her maidservant Marietta survived three years of exile in a tower only to escape and discover their kingdom’s capital, Ardenay, in ruins. Now Maleen must forge ahead and make her own decisions about her future, even though she has no idea of what has happened to her country or to her father, King Darrick. Why didn't Pandor and Prince Melanor come to their aid?

Asael is a kingdom in crisis.
Perhaps it is a coincidence that Anya arrived on Karan’s doorstep—without a past and with great skill in magic—the same night that Crown Prince Loran died, but Karan is not certain she believes in coincidence anymore.