Camavor is a cruel empire with a bloody heritage. Destruction and death follow in the wake of his knights.

However, Kalista, the talented warrior, wants to change that. When her young and self-righteous uncle Viego is crowned, she vows to serve as an advisor and general to temper the ruler's destructive tendencies. But his plans come to naught when an assassin's poisoned dagger wounds Viego's wife, leaving her with an incurable illness.