The night before Princess Sophia of Skyggehavn's wedding, a darkness is set in motion by the single wayward prick of seamstress Ava Bingen's needle, aggravating the secret sickness that affects all the royal family. The fate of the mute nursemaid Midi Sorte is bound now to Ava's, and through deceitful palace intrigue and power-lust, the two women must find a way to help each other survive.