Elodie never dreamed of a lavish palace or a handsome prince. Growing up in the famine-stricken realm of Inophe, her deepest wish was to help her people survive each winter. So when a representative from a rich, reclusive kingdom offers her family enough wealth to save Inophe in exchange for her hand in marriage, she accepts without hesitation. Swept away to the glistening kingdom of Aurea, she is quickly enchanted by the beauty of its people - and of its prince.

But as Elodie begins the rituals to become an Aurean princess, the cracks in the kingdom's perfect veneer begin to show. Too late, she discovers that its wealth has been purchased at a heavy cost - each harvest season, Aurea sacrifices its princesses to the dragon powering its prosperity. And Elodie is next.

This ancient arrangement has persisted for centuries, leading hundreds of women to their deaths. But those who came before her did not go quietly. Their blood pulses with power and memory, and a magic that holds the key to her survival. Forced to fight for her life, this damsel must use her wits to defeat a dragon, uncover Aurea's past, and save not only herself, but the future of her kingdom too.