The Grand Princess of the Empire of Braavadom is now the Grand Queen--and she is only fourteen. By law, she must now choose a husband. Her father already has a suitor, the Prince of Belkidoor. The Elves of Miist are vigilant of the events unfolding in the human land, and the tragedies that threaten the walls of the Imperial House. The events that follow will be a test of strength from which a nation might fall--or rise stronger--as they begin one of the most volatile periods in over five hundred years in the world's greatest empire, which will reshape the course of its history and change the destiny of a child.