In this novelette set five years before the events in the Kanin Chronicles, Bryn Aven is struggling to find her place in the secret kingdom of the Kanin—a realm as beautiful as it is treacherous. Born of mixed heritage, fourteen-year-old Bryn has never felt like she completely belonged. Now, with the summer sun thawing the frozen province, the yearly King’s Games are about to begin, and an opportunity has arisen to squire the popular guard, Konstantin Black. Bryn can finally prove herself and earn the respect she craves.