A princess and a peasant girl, who hides a sorrow in a town where everyone lives with unending joy, embark on a dangerous quest to outwit a centuries-old warning foretelling the fall of the Monarchy.

"Tick . . . tick . . . tick . . . Time is running out in the empire of Rheinvelt. The sudden appearance of a strange and frightening statue foretells darkness. The Hierophants—magic users of the highest order—have fled the land. And the shadowy beasts of the nearby Hinterlands are gathering near the borders, preparing for an attack. Young Prince Alphonsus is sent by his mother, the Empress Sabine, to reassure the people while she works to quell...