For Althea Rose Lornvale, an aspiring architect, the echoes of her family's past are whispers she cannot yet hear. But a cryptic letter and an urgent royal summons shatter her carefully constructed life, thrusting her into the opulent, treacherous court of Avrenghal. Here, she is the unexpected heir to a throne she never desired, a pawn in a game of deadly succession where the question "Why her?" is only the beginning of a deeper, more dangerous mystery.

Beneath the crown lie generations of secrets. As Althea navigates a labyrinth of ancient laws, sophisticated sabotage, and assassination attempts, she unearths the truth of a hidden lineage—a birthright stolen, a family murdered. The gilded halls of the Royal Palace and the shadowed depths of its archives reveal the ruthless ambition of those who would keep these echoes silent. Betrayal wears familiar masks, and every alliance is a razor's edge.

To survive and claim her destiny, Althea must transform her grief into resolve, her intellect into a weapon. The stability of Avrenghal, justice for a blood-soaked legacy, and her own life depend on her ability to decipher the echoes beneath the crown and forge a new future before the shadows of the past consume them all.