A pampered princess. A killer king. The seeds of ruin. Now that her schooling is over, pampered princess, Ouna Domonov must turn her attentions to the needs of the realm; such as marrying a Waterborn Descendant of the Naiads to help uphold the Balance. But she doesn't want her hideous intended, nor her responsibilities. All she wants is to have fun with her best friend, who must soon face her own royal duties. As a last hurrah before the wedding bells sound, the friends head north for Vinterfest. There is just one problem: L'adu. The grumpy guardsman her betrothed has hired to protect his "interests", seems intent on spoiling her fun and shielding her from the only man she deems worthy of her hand, the dashing King Olaf von Oderberg. But when intentions are misconstrued, the merrymaking ends. Ouna's freedom is under threat and the destruction of her country at stake. Can she put her naivety and prejudices aside to fight for what and who is truly important?