Avery has just one chance to save her life -- and the lives of her friends.

The king is very ill and in a hurry to hand over his power to a new generation when rumors begin to circulate through the kingdom. It appears the king is unaware of the queen's sinister plot against the thirteen-year-old orphans, as she wants to ensure her child becomes rightful heir to the throne. Avery weighs the pros and cons of seeking an audience with the king while the castle is dealt a heavy blow; but Avery decides the risk is worth taking, and she steps out of the shadows for the first time since entering the castle walls. When Avery is offered the opportunity of a lifetime, will she choose a life free from hardship within the castle walls . . . or her family and the home she left behind?