A malnourished dystopian town resident named Elle Fallon defies the strictest regulation in order to save her sister. She is betrothed to the prince as a test of her allegiance by the enraged, lethal king, who also orders her to join his Tranquillity patrolmen. She is unaware of the extent of the blood on her hands and the rumours of revolt circulating. 109 years after humanity nearly extinguished itself, a lone kingdom flourishes safe beneath its powerful walls. Elle Fallon, an orphan and a felon, is imprisoned in her kingdom's famine-stricken region. She discovers that she is responsible for the killing of a Tranquillity patrolman while attempting to save her sister from famine. She is thrust into the spotlight and is forced to live with the haughty, enigmatic prince while having to demonstrate her loyalty to the monarch. But if she fails, she will be responsible for spilling blood. The problem is that there are claims she instigated a revolt against the king.