Spilled blood built the Jeweled Realm, and only spilled blood can ascend the throne.

Mara, queen of the Jeweled Realm and wielder of the Sacred Sword, won the throne the traditional way: by fighting her sister to the death. But now, a contingent of Ursan warriors have arrived, bearing tidings from a witch of the Waste. The bloodthirsty witch claims not only is Mara's ascension based on a lie, but she herself is the princess long thought dead.

To defend her throne, Mara has no choice but to join the Ursans and defeat her sister once and for all. But deception is afoot, and Mara is surrounded by betrayal. With no one to trust, her only hope is the Ursan prince, Boden. Whether friend or foe, he seems to see her for who she really is: a daughter of war seeking a bloodless way forward.