Her Majesty, Queen Katherine Blackwood, has held her throne for thirteen years through sheer force of will and icy intellect. Crowned after her father's untimely death and having fiercely defended her right to rule from her ambitious cousin, King Cedric, she has learned that every gift is a debt, every kindness a potential blade.

Now, Cedric has sent his most cunning gift yet: a beautiful, silent demi-human, a creature of perfect loyalty. To refuse it is an admission of fear. To accept it is to welcome a masterfully crafted unknown into the heart of her power. In the gilded cage of her castle, a new game begins—one where the prize is her trust, and the cost of losing could be her kingdom.