The Inner Court has whispered of a woman born beyond the known seas—light brown haired, fire-walking, mother of beasts thought extinct. Scholars dismiss her as a foreign myth, a cautionary tale exaggerated by traders and drunk sailors. But when an unexplained illness, strange fires, and impossible creatures begin appearing near the capital, rumors resurface. The myth arrives in flesh and flame—and the court must decide whether Shy is a savior, a conqueror, or something far more dangerous.h