The battle is done. The war is won. Peace reigns once more on the empire's southern border. Returning in triumph to the capital, Hiro learns that his next assignment will take him to the northern kingdom of Lebering, where he will attend the coming-of-age ceremony of the lovely Princess Claudia. But Lebering is a harsh land, steeped in grudges both new and old. When a scheming prince makes a play for the throne, Hiro and Claudia find themselves fleeing through the snow with no one to rely on but each other. As the frozen north runs red with blood, can they avert a war of historic proportions—and what will be left once the fighting is done?