In Brigant, seventeen-year-old Princess Catherine is forced to watch a noble woman’s execution, to prove her loyalty to her father, King Aloysius. Catherine has feelings for a guard called Ambrose, from a noble family. The woman being executed is his sister. Catherine’s father, King Aloysius and her brother, Prince Boris, have arranged a marriage for Catherine, to Prince Tszayn of Pitoria whom she has never met. Aloysius and Boris are ruthless. The younger Prince, Harold, is being raised the same way. Noyes is the king’s henchman and ruthless rooter out of traitors.

Witnessing the execution is Catherine’s punishment for remarking to her maid that she (the maid) would be able to have a love-based marriage. The maid reported the remarks to Noyes who deemed them a traitorous criticism of the king’s plans for an arranged marriage for Catherine.

The woman being executed, Lady Ann Norwend, has been accused of having a relationship with a married man, refusing to appear before the king and killing one of the king’s guards when they were sent to fetch her. Her tongue has been cut out, and her mouth sewn up, and she is to be beheaded. Her fingers have also been broken since ladies of the royal court normally communicated with each other by sign language. They are rarely allowed to speak, even to each other.

Before her death, Lady Ann signs to Catherine. She appears to say ‘watch me’ ‘kiss’ then ‘anger’ ‘hate’ or ‘threat’ and then ‘boy.’ A further sign is obscured. Lady Ann is then beheaded.

Noyes observes an exchanged glance between Catherine and Ambrose.

In Calidor, March is a sixteen-year-old servant of Prince Thelonius. March is one of the last surviving members of a mountain-dwelling people called the Abasks. The Abasks are recognizable by their silver-blue eyes. March’s people were slaughtered in a war between King Thelonius and King Aloysius who are brothers.

Abask was a mountainous region between Brigant and Calidor. When Brigant attempted to invade Calidor, they burned through Abask, killing or enslaving their people. The Calidorians retreated into their capital, Calia and held out ensieged for a year before a truce was agreed. March was found wandering, starving and was brought into Prince Thelonius’ camp. The prince took him in as a servant. He has been a servant for eight years.

Recently March met another Abask, Holywell. March had thought he was the last Abask. Until this point, March blamed Aloysius for the destruction of Abask. However, Holywell blames Prince Thelonius for abandoning them and retreating to Calia. Holywell says he is seeking vengeance on Thelonius and wants March to spy for him.

Prince Thelonius is sad that his wife and children have died. He has called his best friend Lord Regan to ask him to go to Pitoria and find an illegitimate son he had before his marriage. Regan is to bring him back to be the crown prince so the land will not revert back to Aloysius if Thelonius dies. He gives Regan his ring to prove to his son who he has been sent by.

Tash lures the demon into the trap, but it is clever and almost captures her. She twists her ankle escaping. Gravell kills it and collects the smoke, which is purple instead of the usual red. The demon seems younger than normal. Tash keeps the jar of smoke near her as it is warm. In the morning, her ankle is mysteriously healed.

Catherine rides out with two guards and two maids. One of the guards is Ambrose. At the last minute, her brother Boris joins them. At a bridge, Ambrose is challenged by three of Boris’ men. He must cede his honor or fight. The fight is normally until first-blood is drawn. Ambrose is forced to fight until one man is maimed and another dead. Boris then accuses Ambrose of being Catherine’s lover and a traitor. He rides for help to bring him in. Ambrose is forced to flee.

Holywell makes plans to follow Lord Regan to Pitoria and intercept Prince Thelonius’ illegitimate son. They plan to bring him to Brigant instead. March insists on going with Holywell.

Ambrose goes to Fielding, a small village on the West coast. His sister was captured there, and he believes she saw something that got her executed. He finds a camp of boys training to be soldiers. They seem freakishly strong. When Ambrose tries to leave, he is knocked out.

Catherine is notified that Ambrose has been captured but died of his wounds.

Arriving in Pitoria, March and Holywell find out that Regan is going to a traveling fair, currently at Dornan. Holywell makes March rob someone, so they have the money to follow. They proceed to Dornan where they locate both Regan and the lost son.

In Dornan, eighteen-year-old Edyon is smart and trained at the law but has been rejected by the universities because he is illegitimate. A fortune teller tells him that he is at a crossroads. He will meet a handsome foreign man who lies. He will be in pain, and Edyon can choose to help him. He will either go to faraway lands and riches, or to pain and death. She finishes by telling him death is all around him.

Edyon, it seems, is a petty thief. He is caught stealing a small silver ship (that may or may not have been from Abask). The guards take him to a trader, Stone, who says that Edyon must tell his mother he has been stealing and pay 50 kroners. Then the guards take him to the woods, beat him, and urinate on him.

Holywell and March plan to get to Edyon before Regan and tell him they are taking him to his father. They will then take him to Brigant instead.

March, who is following Edyon approaches him after the guards have left and helps him. Edyon announces his intention of going to the bathhouse but asks March to meet him afterward.

Catherine is looking through the royal accounts book at the cost of her upcoming wedding when she sees sums paid for Fielding including £200 for smoke. She also checks in a book the meaning of Lady Ann’s signs and finds that it could mean breath.

In Fielding Ambrose regains consciousness in the captivity of the boys camp, but escapes, and heads for his family home.

Tash is looking for Gravell and hears he is in the bathhouse. She finds him (copping an eyeful of Edyon wearing nothing but a gold pendant) and argues with him about an advance to buy new boots. When Gravell refuses, she runs off with his boots. He chases. While he is gone, Edyon steals the bottle of smoke and hides it with him in his own bathwater.

On the journey to Pitoria, Catherine witnesses soldiers practicing climbing up and down ropes dressed in black, during the night.

On arrival, she is greeted by Sir Roland Hooper, the Brigantine ambassador to Pitoria. He explains that Prince Tszayn was unwell and has not journeyed to meet them, but that Catherine will tour the main towns on the way to the capital Tornia. Boris is furious. These are not the agreed plans. Tszayn was to meet them with all his lords.

Ambrose sees his family and apologizes to his father for the row they had before he left. He tells them he is going to Pitoria. His brother, Tarquin tells him he is going with him.

When Edyon gets out of the bath, most of his injuries have healed. March approaches him and tells him that his father, the prince of Calidor, has sent for him but that Regan means him harm. March realizes that he needs the gold ring that Prince Thelonius has given to Regan as proof. He realises he will need to kill Regan for it.

Gravell tells Tash the smoke is missing. She questions the bathhouse staff and goes looking for Edyon.

Ambrose and Tarquin come upon a large troop movement. Ambrose sneaks into the tent of a Lord and steals his orders which are to invade a Northern area of Pitoria.

Meanwhile, Princess Catherine is breaking free from the shackles of her family and making plans to wow the population of Pitoria with brave speeches, daring dresses and a procession of entertainers.

March lures Regan to Holywell. They fight. Holywell is stabbed in the neck, Lord Regan dies. March takes the token for Edyon, a ring on a chain. Edyon goes to see his mother. She confirms that Prince Thelonius is his father but cannot advise whether to trust Regan or March. He decides he trusts March. He packs a bag then sneaks out the back to meet March.

Tash sees him leave and follows. Tash confronts Edyon, but one of the sheriff’s men appears and tries to arrest them both. March and Holywell arrive, Tash runs but stops to watch what happens. There is a tussle during which March is stabbed with a spear and Edyon pushes the man as Holywell raises a knife. The man dies. They leave. Edyon accidentally leaves his bag behind.

Ambrose figures out that Catherine’s wedding is a diversion to draw the lords of Pitoria away from the site of the invasion. He sets out to warn her. Tarquin returns home.

Edyon blows demon smoke on March’s injured shoulder, and it heals.

Tash and Gravell follow Edyon, March, and Holywell to try to retrieve the demon smoke.

Catherine meets King Arell and Prince Tszayn. Tszayn is scarred down one side of his face and body from an accident with hot oil as a child. Catherine finds him striking nonetheless.

Edyon and March experiment with the demon smoke.

Ambrose arrives in Tornia the Pitorian capital but is caught by Boris and Noyes telling Catherine about the invasion. Tszayn intercedes and imprisons Ambrose to appease Boris diplomatically. Catherine warns Tszayn of her father’s plans. Tszayn offers Catherine and her maids his protection and later says that he still wishes to marry her if she is agreeable and doesn’t Iove another.

The Pitorians pretend Tszayn is ill and delay the wedding while he and his men secretly ride North to stop the invasion. Boris is furious. Ambrose realizes that Boris plans to attack the royal family. It is too late to stop the attack, and the king is badly hurt. Catherine, Ambrose and her entourage flee after Tszayn because they fear if the king dies, they will be executed.

Edyon, March, and Holywell are attacked. Holywell dies. A demon appears and kills their attackers. Gravell appears and kills the demon.

Ambrose professes his love for Catherine. On the road they spot the Brigantine invasion, Catherine rides to warn the Pitorians. Her maid dies in the battle.

Gravell and Tash leave. Edyon and March follow their trail. Edyon and March are arrested by Tszayn’s men because March is Brigantine. March is tortured and dying.

Tash and Gravell have also been arrested, and when Tash tries to escape, she runs into Catherine. Catherine takes a liking to Tash asks Tszayn to pardon her which he does.