Ashley Parker is a 14 year old girl living in a dorm room shared with 8 other females in "The grounds" or a huge building with over 45 separate rooms connected by twisted hallways that only the smartest can somewhat navigate. But this is only one of the many buildings in this kingdom, the Etherial kingdom. Ashley has hopes and dreams of becoming an Etherial guard and serving her kingdom next to her best friend Leyla miller, a 14 year old girl who really just wants a happy ending and all is on the right track. But what happens if their prisoner starts telling a different story than the one they have been told? What happens when Ashley's whole perspective has been changed? When did the story run off its rails and into the unknown? find out in The Heart of Shadow and Gold, where dreams become nightmares and childish adventures turn into perilous escapades.