1 - The Boy and the Queen

Sixteen-year-old Mila has caught the attention of the (soon-to-be) widowed king. She, however, has no desire to be queen, much less the wife of the disgusting old man. She longs for the freedom to develop her rare and forbidden gift of magic and to choose a future with her lifelong best friend, Alfrid. But what little hope she has for autonomy is lost when the Queen of Direwood plummets to an untimely death. She soon finds herself the reluctant bride of the vile, controlling king, step-mother to his dead-eyed twelve-year-old daughter and an unprepared participant in the trials of court politics. Her only comfort comes from the apothecary-who offers the young queen an opportunity to cultivate her magic and a plan to secure her future. But in time, the entire palace begins to doubt Mila's ability to provide an heir. Desperation turns to resentment when she discovers the king's mistress is with child. But it is the vindictive actions of the king that lead Mila to realize that he'll destroy her if she doesn't destroy him first, tempting her to use her gifts in darker, dangerous ways.