Lia, who is 17, is set to be married to the prince of Dalbreck today. Foreboding winds suggest it isn’t what she wants. Lia thinks of marriage as ending one life for another to begin and has no desire to marry a strange man she assumes is much older than her. As a priest, her mother, and several others watch, Lia is stripped. She lays down on a table to receive a tattoo known as a “kavah.” It features the crest of the kingdom she is marrying into, the Kingdom of Dalbreck. She admits that the tattoo is beautiful, but feels it is a facade because she does not believe in the tradition. Because Lia is 17 and the first daughter of the family, she is expected to marry into a new kingdom. Her older brothers, Walther, Regan, and Bryn, are under no such obligations. Lia looks out the window and observes the beauty of her own kingdom, Morrighan, and tries to choke back her fear. Lia also worries she will never acquire her family’s psychic gift and become a Siarrah, or gifted seer, like her mother.

Lia’s mother refers to her by her full name, Arabella. She gave her the middle name Jezelia at birth. Lia’s father arrives with his entourage of men and sets the ceremonial wedding cloak on her shoulders. Lia resents her father for making the moment so impersonal, and he quickly leaves to attend to other matters. She requests a moment alone. When her mother departs, Lia sneaks away with her servant and friend, Pauline. They arrive at the stable and each mount a horse and ride off together into the forest. Lia knows her life is about to begin again.

Lia and Pauline rush through the forest as a swirl of emotions hits them. They feel excited, free, and scared all at once. They guide the horses through a stream and up a rocky step to avoid leaving a path, and after several more hours of riding, stop at a clearing for the night. Although both girls are exhausted, they grow increasingly nervous about the animals and the rumors of barbarians that roam the woods. They talk about heading to the village of Terravin. Pauline says a prayer, which makes Lia feel ashamed of her lack of spiritual connection to traditions.

After Pauline falls asleep, Lia lies awake thinking about her future and how she wished she knew what she wanted like Pauline does. She wishes for someone to love and who will love her. Lia also thinks about her childhood, and how she often used to sneak onto the citadel roof to look at the stars. It was during those moments she felt most connected to something larger than herself.

The prince that Lia is supposed to marry, Rafe, prepares to set off in search of Lia. He argues with Sven, his teacher and mentor, about whether it makes sense to go. The prince believes that the marriage, which would have united his and Lia’s kingdoms, should still go ahead. He claims to just be curious about Lia’s reasons for leaving. The prince is much younger than Lia had imagined. He is a skillfully trained soldier despite never having been to war, so he is confident he will be able to find her. Internally, the prince admits that he is jealous of Lia’s courage to do what he could not and escape a life of obligation. In his pocket, he carries a note that he received from her prior to the wedding, asking to allow her to “inspect” him before they marry.

An assassin, later revealed to be Kaden, comes from the people known as Venda. He works for the Komizar (leader) and is tasked with killing Princess Lia. He knows it will be difficult despite his experience, because killing steals a part of him each time, no matter who it is. He and his people intend to take over the region of Cam Lanteux where the Morrighan and Dalbreck kingdoms sit. At the end of the chapter, a quote from the “Morrighan Book of Holy Text” warns against the possibility of superfluous knowledge leading to corruption and an absence of wisdom (41).

Lia takes the jewels off her wedding cloak and throws the cloak into the river, hoping whoever sees it will think she drowned. She trades the jewels for coins in a small town, and later she and Pauline exchange their horses for donkeys to avoid suspicion. The women reach the colorful town of Terravin after 10 days, and Lia is filled with a sense of possibility. It is the town where Pauline grew up and where she was taken from after her mother died. Pauline still has an aunt in town named Berdi who runs an inn; the girls go there to see if Berdi is willing to help. Berdi doesn’t recognize Pauline at first because of how filthy she is, but accepts Lia’s story of escaping her obligations as royalty. Berdi arranges a bath, and when Pauline refers to Lia as “your Highness,” Lia corrects her, reminding Pauline that she no longer lives by their former roles or life. She insists that Pauline take the hot bath and goes to a nearby creek. When Lia hears a branch snap, she is startled until she sees a rabbit.

Lia and Pauline settle into life in Terravin and move into a small cottage of Berdi’s by the inn. They help out as much as they’re allowed. The longer they stay, the more responsibilities they are given, including working in the dining area with Gwyneth. Lia watches Gwyneth flirt with the male customers and takes it all in, hoping to employ the same skills one day. She envies Pauline. Pauline loves someone named Mikael, a man who promised to find Pauline wherever she ended up. Lia wants a love of her own, but isn’t sure how to find it or if she is even worthy. She is told that her kavah will take weeks to wash off, and she scrubs it daily.

The assassin finds himself impressed by Lia’s work in avoiding detection, but he still has managed to follow her trail to Terravin after backtracking several times and talking to the men she traded with along the way. He knows that Lia arrived with one other person, and that they did so on donkeys. When a boy working at the barn mentions donkeys, the assassin discovers that Lia is working at the inn. He sees a man cooling off under some water and approaches.

After weeks of searching and being falsely led around the region by Lia’s tricks, the prince finally arrives in Terravin. He manages to find out from the stable boy, Enzo, that a girl with a kavah on her back lives there. The prince goes to cool off with some water as the assassin sees him and approaches, hoping to make temporary acquaintance.

A group of soldiers enters the busy tavern, and Lia goes over to serve them. One of the men grabs her and tries to pull her in, but Lia spills her drinks on him and he lets her go. Moments later, she sees him doing the same thing to Pauline, and immediately lectures him on couth and dignity. The soldier retreats in embarrassment and Pauline rushes away.

The assassin and prince enter the tavern and sit down. Gwyneth, the other server, notices the pair and how different they are. She guesses that one is a trader and the other a fisherman. She sends Lia over with some ciders. The two men stare at her, commenting on how young she looks; it is clear they have begun to suspect her true identity. Lia has a strange feeling about them but cannot place it, and introduces herself as Lia. They introduce themselves as Kaden and Rafe, and Lia finds Rafe’s smile attractive. When he talks, his voice is familiar yet new, and Lia is confused.

Suddenly, Gwyneth tells Lia that she’s needed in the kitchen, and that she isn’t allowed out for the rest of the night. Berdi lectures Lia about standing up to the authorities and warns her to protect herself more carefully.

Lia finishes the dishes alone in the kitchen. She recalls a time her father became angry at her for making a suggestion about pooling the resources of the kingdom’s men. Berdi approaches Lia and admits that she is proud of Lia for telling the soldier what he needed to hear, but warns her to be careful. Berdi dismisses Lia, and when she begins walking down the trail to home, Kaden stops and startles her. Lia immediately grows suspicious of him when he offers to take her home, but he explains that he’s staying at the barn loft of the inn just as Lia once had. Lia starts to sense that Kaden isn’t a trader. She asks why he’s in Terravin, but he doesn’t answer.

Rafe steps out of the trees and tells Kaden that his horse is causing trouble. Kaden is frustrated but leaves, and Rafe is left alone with Lia. She notices he is clean and well put together, unlike before. There is an immediate tension between them as they stare at each other. Rafe comments on the dagger that Lia secretly carries, which surprises her. When Lia turns to leave, Rafe picks up her hat and hands it to her, and their hands touch. Lia sees Rafe’s face soften for a moment before he leaves.

The assassin settles into the barn loft alongside the prince for the night. He thinks that the prince is a countryman who is falling for the princess, but in truth, Lia also intrigues him. He noticed her courage as she defended Pauline, and is curious to know her better.

The prince lies awake thinking about Lia and how surprised he was by her manner and the joy she found in working at the tavern. Nothing is happening according to his plans, and now he has the additional issue of dealing with the assassin, whose belongings have no symbols or signs of where he is from.