Princess Jocosta. Heir to the throne of Magog, a name whispered with reverence within the towering city walls. To many, her life was one of enviable luxury, a tapestry woven with the finest silks and shielded from any discomfort. Raised under the watchful eye of her uncle, the Regent Tiberius, following the tragic loss of her parents, Jocosta’s world was meant to be one of serene order and blissful ignorance. But even the most carefully constructed cages have bars that eventually feel cold to the touch.
Tiberius painted a picture of a realm where true danger only lurked beyond the city’s embrace, deep within the menacing shadows of Monsterwood – the place where her parents met their untimely end. He meticulously crafted her understanding of the world, ensuring she remained unaware of the simmering unrest amongst the Maheekanu people and the brutal oppression faced by the Mahru. Yet, whispers have a way of seeping through even the thickest stone walls, and a royal heart yearns for truth, no matter how sheltered.
What happens when the heir to a kingdom realizes her entire life might be a carefully orchestrated lie? For Jocosta, the dawning awareness of the suffering kept hidden from her, coupled with the gnawing questions surrounding her parents’ fate, became an unbearable weight. The “safety” of the palace began to feel like a prison, its luxury a silken blindfold. Driven by an insatiable need for answers and a burgeoning sense of justice, Jocosta made a choice that would change everything: to defy her regent, abandon her gilded cage, and venture into the dreaded Monsterwood.
Her quest is not just for personal truth, but for the soul of her kingdom. What secrets lie buried in the heart of Monsterwood? And can a princess, raised in isolation, survive it’s perils long enough to uncover them?
