The nine Ilvistine Crystals are the most coveted jewels by crown and criminal across the land. Five crystals have been found, another remains unclaimed, and one is still unaccounted for. Elody Bequette is a noble woman who wants something more than to marry a prince. She longs for travel and adventure, so much so that she is willing to give up her engagement, her family, and her homeland. Miles away in another city, being a prostitute is just what life threw at Milena Proper. Self-reliant and cynical, she scrapes by each day, content to have a roof over her head and money in her pocket. These two women, who would seemingly never cross paths, have one thing in common—they both possess the last two Ilvistine Crystals. When the prostitute and runaway bride-to-be meet by chance, they’re drawn into a web of deception among the royal families and a band of vagabonds. Their backgrounds create an unstable alliance, but to save their necks, Milena will need to rely on someone outside herself, and Elody will have to be able to stand on her own two feet in a world very unlike the reserved realm she’s used to.