Rowan Jardinier, seventh child of the king of Provensaal and even further in line for the throne, has never minded his position as a Royal Forester. It keeps him from having to deal with the politics and games of the court and--more importantly--from the scheming mothers and young ladies intent on using him as a line to the king's ear. No, he is perfectly content with his solitary life in the woods...Then a misplaced letter arrives on his desk and he enters into a correspondence with a woman as intriguing and charming as she is slightly ridiculous. Aria is unlike any of the women at court, and he finds himself growing increasingly interested in his new friend, though they have never met face to face.A series of unfortunate events calls him away from home, and when he is finally able to return he is confronted with a disturbing reality:Aria is not responding to her letters, and those close to her are concerned that she and twelve of her classmates at the famed Leroux Conservatory of Music and Dance are involved in something strange. They disappear night after night, and none of the singers, musicians, or dancers can say what they are doing.After enlisting the aid of the Order, Rowan leaves on a fact-finding mission to discover just what is going on at the Conservatory. When devious plans and a fanatical instructor come to light, will Rowan be able to save the twelve virtuosos in time?
