Every spring in the kingdom of Olandia, representatives from the palace visit all the kingdom's orphanages to round up those orphans who have turned eighteen without ever being adopted. The royal family then employs them as servants, giving them clothing, food, and shelter—a practice that provides for the kingdom's citizens and helps prevent homelessness.

This year, Ellena is one of the orphans who has aged out. She's excited to be leaving Madame Greer's dreary, unpleasant orphanage, and she knows the royal family has a reputation for taking good care of those they employ. Once she is at the palace, she experiences rapid changes in just a few short weeks. She and Prince Jonathon are immediately drawn to one another, and when danger comes to the palace in the form of assassins, their budding romance undergoes a test that will change Ellena's life forever.

In this novel for young adults, an eighteen-year-old orphan comes to work for her kingdom's royal family and soon finds romance, personal growth, and tragedy.