Arismendi never wanted to be a princess. Her dream is to open Kingsgarden's first school for girls, in spite of everything standing in her way: ridicule, misogyny, and, most importantly, a distinct lack of funds. But she soon finds out that her biggest obstacle is not money. It's fear. And there's nothing more frightening to men in power, it seems, than a girl with a book.

But it's not only her pride or the future of her school at stake. There are secrets in the Garden, thorns that could pierce the heart of the kingdom itself, and Ari's ambitions have shaken them loose. To protect her girls, her dreams, and her very kingdom, Ari must finally become what she was born to be: a princess.

Or, perhaps, a queen.