As only daughter of High King Dan and his most favored courtesan, Natalia lived a life of quiet
luxury at Stonewood Castle. Then the war came. High King Dan’s departure to lead the troops
against the brutal People of the Trees leaves Stonewood Castle defended only by old men and
boys too young to carry a sword. When Queen Mara and her court, including Natalia’s mother,
are poisoned Natalia and the rest of the king’s children are secreted out of the castle to be
fostered by the king’s faithful followers. Natalia finds herself an impromptu apprentice to
Marcus the Humble, one of the lesser court mages who is anything but happy to take on the
care if a fifteen year old ward. With only a magically sealed locket to remind her of the life she
once had, can Natalia find her place in the world and fulfill the destiny that only her new foster
father has glimpsed?