Founders have it all. Beautiful homes, prestigious schooling, extraordinary wealth -- it's all part of the life guaranteed to the Ministry's ruling class, and it's the life sixteen year old Freya Arma was born into. Set to Ascend to her father's seat as First Marshall, Freya is headed for Academy, an elite grooming school for firstborn Founders. Ascension is a destiny Freya is bound by blood and tradition to accept, but one she would have never chosen for herself. But as the Separatist war plagues the Ministry, Freya is thrust into the fast-paced life of an Academy Novice. Set against the backdrop of civil war and family strife, Freya must balance academic rigors and romance with an outcast Founder. But even if she does manage to carve a path through these new challenges, she might find herself drawn into the war in a way that no one could have expected.