In the kingdom of Harding, the Rite has existed for as long as memory--when the king dies, his son, the prince, must go into the gray lands, slay a dragon, and rescue a princess to be his bride and the kingdom's new queen. That is what Ama is told when she wakes up in the arms of Prince Emory, at least--he rescued her from a dragon's lair, and now her destiny is to be his queen. It all seems too good to be true--and it is. Ama cannot remember anything of what came before the dragon captured her, and as the Rite continues she may face greater threats within the kingdom than any without it.