As a traditional Quelmirian villager, Vivianna longs for something that will finally make her special. Instead, she finds a job at the palace serving the royal family. But life at the palace takes a turn when the King of Quelmir is murdered in cold blood. Vivianna quickly finds herself entangled in a dangerous game of political intrigue, where the King's ward and his lover have secrets to hide, an airship pirate and the Prince's best friend have a past, and the attention of the Prince could land her in prison. In Book One of the Quelmirian Duology, Vivianna learns that there are two sides to every story, including her own, and not all of them have happy endings.