Lavanda Monigen's sixteenth birthday starts out like any other in her gilded life within the sun-dappled, blossoming courtyards of the Seveth Root kingdom. Although she does not anticipate it, this day marks a dramatic turning point in her tranquil existence.
Curled up in her canopied bed, swathed in silk and dreaming among the coos of her beloved doves, Lavanda wakes to a messenger hammering at her royal chamber door. The page announces that Queen Ruta, her mother, has arranged a special birthday surprise. Lavanda’s heart skips with delight - she is a lover of surprises.
Drawn by the allure of the unexpected, she quickly dresses in a gown sewn from the softest petals of the kingdom’s lilies, her golden hair cascading in waves down her back. Her mother, the regal Ruta, waits for her in the throne room. Lavanda finds her mother’s penetrating gaze quite unnerving, however she offers her a warm smile that reaches not quite up to her eyes.
Ruta extends a delicate hand, guiding Lavanda through hidden corridors of the palace, which spill into a private courtyard bustling with people. Lavanda blinks in surprise at the sight of the gathering. Merchants, farmers, and her own affluent kin mingle, their voices clamouring like a bartering market. But it is the sight of the people huddled in the corner that takes away Lavanda’s breath. People in barely-there rags and manacled wrists are crowded on the dusty ground - abject, vulnerable. Slaves.
The world spins for Lavanda as the cruel reality of her kingdom crashes upon her. The flowers seem to lose their charm and the melodies of her doves suddenly sound mournful. A handsome young girl of her age, eyes hollow and shackled in chains, draws Lavanda’s attention. The sight of a fellow maiden, crushed under despair, rattles her heart.
Suddenly, her mother’s words start making sense, the pleasure voyages on the royal galleons carrying exotic goods, the mines that produce sparkling gemstones. Lavanda’s paradise is built upon the weary shoulders of the oppressed, her own innocence a mere mirage.
In the following days, Lavanda struggles. Her conscience pricks at her. The kingdom she had so adored, the kingdom she may one day rule, seems stained. It is a harsh realization but it only strengthens her resolve. She is a product of her kingdom, but she will not let it define her morality.
Performing small acts of kindness, Lavanda begins sneaking food and blankets to the slaves. She teaches them to read and write, connecting them to a world previously denied. An unexpected friendship blossoms between her and the young slave maiden, whom she learns is called Dalia.
The more time she spends with Dalia, the more Lavanda resents the false prosperity of her kingdom. The confines of her palace seem suffocating now, the flowers poisonous. Her family’s willful neglect of the glaring injustice gnaws at her heart and steels her resolution.
She must change this. She will change this. If the Seveth Root kingdom is her future, Lavanda decides to imbue it with love and justice - for all. As the realization shines in her eyes, Lavanda knows her life will never be the same.