Mundanity and survival are all too familiar to Rosemary Doe, who had the misfortune of being born within Denovaria's outskirts. When work becomes unavailable, she makes the trek to the country's capital, Vironsa, to take on work none will: servitude to the royal family. Once adjusted to the new life of short-tempered people, exhausting hours, and extensive rules, invaders raid the palace walls, seizing Rosemary and bringing her to a place those in Denovaria would call otherworldly. Now thrust into this unknown land and forced to rely on outside forces for survival, Rosemary's kidnapping becomes the least of her problems as she ponders a single question: "Why was I brought here?"