Only a week has passed since her friend's village was annihilated. Now Juliet Barrows has to face her grief and memories of the carnage alone as she wanders the mountain refuge. Filled with anger at the atrocities King Cruelon ignores, she dives into helping the uprising against him.

Fueled by a vision of which their seer has of Juliet at Cruelon's court, Tristan, the leader of the uprising, convinces Juliet that infiltration is their only option. Pushing away her doubts and fears, she prepares for the coming crucible in the clutches of Cruelon and his impenetrable fortress.

Unsettled by the plan gone askew, ensnared by court politics, and at odds with some of the king's harem, Juliet doesn't know who to trust. Where is the spy Tristan told her would be there? In the day-to-day grind of court life, Juliet struggles to survive. She must fight against giving into the growing despair of ever returning home. Doubts fester as Juliet fears for her life and the lives of her friends. The uprising is faltering, and if Juliet fails in her mission, all hope will be lost.

The cultural customs and suspicions of this Japanesque society reach a climax as Juliet faces unseen challenges in the king's court that will test her friendships beyond belief.