She must find her conviction or be convicted. Kascia Thorapple Custod has done the unthinkable. She betrayed her Custod duty, her father, her former life for a man she can't even be sure she'll win in the end, a man she is still unsure she can trust: the man she came to kill. But was that the right choice? Kascia still isn't convinced. The truth is the taxes that are slowly killing her people are still in place and she cannot justify it even to herself why. Kascia must navigate the jealousy and drama of the other girls in the Enthronement, pass the tests, and decide for herself if she's really going to dedicate herself to winning this game because she wants to or because going home to those she betrayed is a fate worse than death. The magic of the holidays has romance in the air, but Kascia is realizing how tight this competition might still be, not just to win the Enthronement but to win Prince Gavril's heart. Will she choose correctly or will her people's blood be on her hands?