Kit's mother, the Queen, strikes a bargain with one of the Hidden Folk, persuading him to switch Kit's body with that of her beautiful step-sister, Catharine. The Queen believes she is saving Kit from the King's unwanted advances and can't understand why Kit is not delighted by her spell, but Kit can only see it for the curse that it is on her beloved sister, Catharine. Horrified by what her mother has done, and desperate to save Catharine from being abused by her own father, Kit plots their escape to the Northern Isles where magic is still strong. Here she hopes to find another of the Hidden Folk who can undo the curse. But undoing the curse will mean that Kit must return to her own body ? the one that suffers pain every day, and breaks too easily...
Prince Idris lives in the Northern Isles. On his eighteenth birthday, he learns of the terrible crime his great-grandfather committed against the Queen of the Hidden Folk, and the curse she placed upon his family line as a result. In a bid to right the wrong and ensure the curse ends with him, Idris agrees to a bargain ? since the Queen can no longer dance, Idris must dance for her. Every night. Until exhaustion destroys him.
Can Kit find a way to save her sister and the Prince? Can the Queens' curses ever be broken? And even if they can, if Kit is honest with herself, is it what she truly wants?
