On the eve of her twelfth birthday, all Princess Adelisa—Ash to her friends—wants to do is run away. The palace doesn’t feel like home. Her mother is holding the war-torn kingdom together by a thread. Her brother bullies her. And the masked ball to celebrate her birthday turns into a nightmare when the nobles openly mock her.
Then Ash meets Splinter. Fierce, brave, and adventurous, Splinter dreams of becoming a knight like her older brother, though only noble sons get to be squires. Until now.
There’s never been a princess’s squire before, but Ash decides it’s the perfect solution. Together, they can face the bullies, snobs, gossips, and disapproving families.
But as their friendship grows, Splinter and Ash discover a deadly conspiracy of nobles planning to overthrow the queen. When Ash is kidnapped, Splinter must navigate long-held secrets and dangerous plots. Ash needs to be a princess who saves herself. And they both have to find a way back to each other to save the kingdom, together.
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