In the heart of Novarsia, where the Porcelain Grand Ballroom glows with a light as magical as the kingdom's cherished crown princess, Sage Cyprus prepares for her long-awaited debutante, only to find her absent dance partner with another acquaintance. In the world of nobility, the well-protected princess must choose who to trust when she realizes the person she looked up to once upon a time may not be as glorified as before. Every gentle smile conceals a whispered rumour. Under the bubbly shell, Sage is haunted by the shadow of her mother's frail legacy. Excerpt: Her heart raced in panic as she spun around to meet the gaze of a red-haired young man. Not Killian. She looked down and realized the young man's hand was still clamped around her wrist. As if sensing her unease, he released her hand and took a step back. He bowed with a slight smirk, his red hair falling over his amber eyes. Sage was taken aback. There has never been a young man as bold to smirk at her, much less gaze at her intently. " Your highness, I'm afraid everyone is staring," he whispered. " Oh-yes! I mean, I don't really have a dance partner..." Sage wondered why she was confessing to a mere stranger. She twirled a strand of hair that had gone loose- a very unladylike gesture for a crown princess. " Would you mind if I fill in that empty spot then, Princess?"