As heir to the evian throne, Judica must be perfect every moment of every day. If she slips up, even once, her mother will replace her. Impossible standards, horrifying decisions, terrible truths-none of these stop Judica from doing what needs to be done. She becomes what her mother demands, what her people need, what she never wanted for herself. But it isn't enough. Judica's worst nightmare becomes a reality when her twin sister Chancery steals the throne. Her life is over, all her efforts a waste. Judica should be furious, but strangely, she's relieved. The freedom from her former responsibilities leaves her time to pursue her mother's killer. But as she unravels the clues, the truth slips further away. When her investigation leads to a common enemy, Judica must decide whether she's willing to mend the deep and painful fractures between her and Chancery, or whether she's too far gone. Once a villain, always a villain?