The imperial throne has sat empty for 35 years after war ravaged humanity and forced the emperor is in hiding.  Many believe him to be dead, but the scryers of the Janissary Corps, the elite guard of the emperor, still speak of descendants of imperial blood unable to track them as they have been hidden away. The house of Burton the heralds of the emperor, now act as stewards for the throne, guiding the rebuilding of the empire.  On a distant world, after being kicked out of her parent's house, Cassandra Riley begins working as a housekeeper at a local mansion. She soon finds her world turned upside down as she is thrust into the politics of the great houses that rule her society, changing her life forever.