The evil king is dead, the war is over, and Meliara -- barefoot countess and reluctant heroine -- has been swept up into a different kind of battle in the dance halls and drawing rooms of the royal palace. Physical warfare is easy compared to the genteel skirmishes of the royal court. Here, Mel's friends and enemies look alike: Instead of swords, they wave fans; instead of armor, they wear beautiful gowns and sinister smiles. If she is to survive, Mel will have to learn a whole new way of fighting -- with wits and words and secret alliances.