A novella set in the fictitious Central Asian country of Kalathan. Nuria is a noble girl from the Kalathan countryside who is invited, with many other young women, to the court of King Theoland II. Her proud father is convinced that she is lovely enough to steal the heart of the king, but Nuria knows right from the start that she is not a good fit at the palace. When the king discovers a secret from her past, she is must make a hard decision that no one will understand.