A human boy breaks into the palace and demands to see the king of beasts! To Sariphi's surprise, he turns out to be an old friend. But he may not be quite the person she remembers, and Chancellor Anubis seeks to turn their reunion against her.

Amit struggles to express her feelings for Captain Jormungand. Meanwhile, Sariphi faces her first duty as acting queen consort: a journey to bless the newborn prince of a vassal state. But the child's mother has other ideas.

Leonhart arrives just as Sariphi and her would-be rescuers near the end of their rope. Now the king must face the pretender to his throne. But how will he fare against a rival who has lived his life for this moment?

Sariphi ventures into the human realm bearing a message of peace. But even convincing her fellow humans of her mission proves a challenge. To have any hope of success, she must turn to an eerily familiar woman shunned by society.