Discovered as a child living alone in the forest, Zoysana grows up an orphan of mixed parentage, but under the protection of Barent, the king’s youngest son. Due to her unique situation, she is appreciated for her own merit by everyone, from the royal family to the lowest kitchen wench. But her secure nest is shattered by conflict in the royal family, and soon she must decide where her loyalty lies.She flees to her former home in the mountains, where she finds many answers, but not to the questions she is asking. Then she is offered the chance to visit Kyabra, the home of her grandfather, to learn about her roots in that ancient culture.But all of the travel and searching comes to naught when troubles at home beckon her. She returns to Petrella to face a decision that could stop a war and save the lives of thousands. But only at the greatest personal cost.The first book in the sweeping saga of a multicultural continent, this novel details with sympathy and humour the unique journey to adulthood of a fascinating character, and chronicles the influences that temper the steel of her soul to the point where she can become the unlikely hero her realm requires.This is the introductory book in a 7-volume set of stand-alone novels with the same setting and overlapping characters.