Once, in the midst of war, 12-year-old Robert Northwell and Callisandra May dreamed of sunflowers. The world wasn't hell back then. Years later, the new queen Cassiopeia stole Robert's heart, froze up his soul, and plunged the kingdom of Hethers into the darkest of December nights. Still, somewhere, Robert yearns for Calla and the sunflower fields they had sown together, the sunflower fields that had died a long time ago.