For fifteen years, she was buried in the shadows, forgotten by all. Now, Emilia D. Velarent, the forsaken princess, steps once more into the light, appearing unbidden in the midst of her sister’s grand birthday banquet. From that moment, the path of vengeance begins: blood, power, love, and desire will all become pieces upon her board. The throne was stolen from her, the title stripped away, the heart cast aside. Emilia swears she will reclaim it all, and more. An elder brother whose gaze hides an unfathomable darkness. A proud Grand Duke whose pursuit burns with unabashed intensity. A priest who kneels, worshipping her as the only deity he would ever serve. A beast-knight, loyal as a hound, willing to offer his very life just to brush his lips against her heel. A mysterious astrologer, ancient beyond reckoning, who seeks to bind her forever with the threads of destiny.