In the sun-soaked kingdom of Monovia, Princess Angelia Gervaise has learned that crowns are just cages forged in gold. Since her mother's death, the weight of duty has pressed heavier than the tides she once found solace in. Her people whisper of famine, raids, and sickness spreading through the land, but her father, the king keeps his court silent and his secrets tighter still. Across the border, Prince Xander Antonov of Drakov marches toward a summit meant to preserve a peace already splintering. His kingdom starves, his people grow restless, and rumors stir of a force moving beyond the eastern wilds, something older than war and hungrier than kings. When Angelia and Xander are forced back into each other's orbit, old loyalties and buried feelings resurface. But as truth unravels and long-held lies come to light, both heirs must decide whether to obey the crowns that bind them-or defy the destiny written in the stars. In a realm on the brink of rebellion and ruin, forgotten powers are beginning to stir beneath the surface.
