Adventures in international relations abound as Prince Antonius and the rest of the party from the Sandelz Empire continue to stir up all sorts of trouble for the royals of Rubini! Between assassin attacks and suspicious sorcerers, princess-to-be Maria is beset on all sides.

Meanwhile, she learns more about the plight of the Sandelz crown prince’s younger sister, Princess Ancelline. While she may be a royal, women in Sandelz are considered second-class citizens, which once led Ancelline to see marriage to Renato as a way out of that life. And evidently, her brother remains intent on marrying his sister to Renato—despite the fact that the crown prince is happily engaged to Maria!