For some girls, age eighteen is the magical age of freedom and independence. For Aerys, turning eighteen means an arranged marriage to a man she's never met before, leaving the only home she's ever known, and accidentally discovering things she never knew about the world, about her family, and about herself, things that have been lurking beneath the surface all along. However, each new discovery brings new questions with it, and the answers could lead in some very dangerous directions. She and her fiancé, Dmitri, must decide whether or not to find the answers to these questions and what to do with the knowledge they gain. To change the game instead of living by others' rules, they must look beyond what they see.

Look Beyond What You See

<p>Frustration stiffens my fingers, making the task I have set for myself infinitely more difficult as my fingers wander across the piano keys, trying to find something pleasing. My urgency, too, makes the frustration more poignant. I know Dmitri will be ending his lessons soon and then he will come to fetch me for luncheon, after which we will go back to my posing for his painting. His challenge for me to play for him has been burning in the back of my mind since he issued it, but even more so in these past few afternoons of standing in a river as he paints and not even being allowed a glimpse at the progress.</p>

Chapter 28 Dmitri's Song