when lord lyonel baratheon hosted a tourney at storms end in honor of his only daughters seventeenth nameday, the great houses of westeros assembled at the ancestral seat of house baratheon. even the house of the dragon had made the journey from the crownlands to here - gracing the tourney not only with the presence of the heir, prince baelor, but king daeron himself. an event worthy of the historybooks, just as lord baratheon intended - what had not been on his mind was the fact that his beloved daughter, the storms doe, had caught the eye of a dragon.

They call Lady Mirella cold. She does not smile for court, does not flatter, does not pretend. In a world that rewards softness, she chooses restraint. She loves fiercely, disciplines sharply, and refuses to perform for men who mistake silence for weakness. But as her children grow into legends - and something darker - Mirella learns that control is an illusion, and fire does not care how steady your hands are. Power has never been controlled.

After her mother's death, Elaena Hightower is drawn into a political marriage with the heir to the Iron Throne. Duty is demanded, and love uncertain. Or perhaps, inevitable?