With their honeymoon adventure at an end, Philia throws herself back into her saintly duties while Prince Osvalt prepares for a visit from the royal family of neighboring Alectron. An advance party of knights sent ahead of the royals proves to include one unexpected figure: Lena’s fiancé, Elmhardt! Realizing the couple is mysteriously estranged for reasons neither of them will reveal—and which might be related to the Alectron royals’ last visit to Parnacorta—Philia sets about getting to the bottom of things.