In the House of Lketon, blood is supposed to be thicker than water. But for Annabella, her blood has only marked her for death. Born into nobility as the only child of the King's favourite granddaughter and a common-born knight, Annabella has always existed in the shadows of her family's ancient halls. Her father, Vincenzo, was never accepted by the house—a commoner who married above his station and paid for it with every breath. When Annabella's mother, Rosalia, died under mysterious circumstances, her daughter became nothing more than an inconvenience to be disposed of. Exiled to a remote coastal estate under the guise of a generous inheritance, Annabella's carriage is ambushed on the mountain roads. Her loyal maid is murdered before her eyes, and she discovers the assassins bear the crest of her father's knightly order. But the attack awakens something in Annabella. Something ancient. Something that remembers her mother's bloodline carries more than just noble status. With nothing but her wits and a family brooch passed down from her mother—a gold pin set with a sapphire that pulses with an otherworldly light, imbued with a protective magic that shields its bearer from harm—she survives the slaughter and returns to the ducal house. There, she uncovers a conspiracy that reaches back decades. Her mother was killed not by chance, but because of her resemblance to the deceased Queen. The brothers of her maternal grandfather fear that the Old King will recognize the likeness and pass the crown to their rival branch of the family. To secure their own claim to the throne, they ordered Rosalia's murder. Now Annabella must choose: accept her fate as a cast-away daughter, or fight back and avenge her mother. The brooch has chosen its bearer. Its magic protects her. Its power guides her. She will no longer be a bystander. And the Ducal House of Leeton will never be the same.