Rhoden has been feared his entire life. As a young child, his skin turned black, the mark of the ancient and now-extinct Shadows. Centuries ago, the Shadows were eradicated for their evil doings by the mythical Sun King, but many believe Rhoden's very existence portends the Shadows' return. Though he is by birth a royal prince of the kingdom of Aleria, Rhoden has spent his life among the gentle and quiet scholars of faraway Tellegar College, raised by them and his stern uncle. He visits the royal palace once a year, and is content to remain far away from the scrutiny of the common people. His life is fueled by the desire to understand two crucial questions: what happened to him, and why? Is he somehow connected to the Shadows, or is his condition just a coincidence? After years of study, he feels he is finally on the cusp of an answer.

But when tragedy strikes at the marriage of his elder brother Cael and Lady Miriandri of Mesia, Rhoden is thrown into a world that he neither wanted nor was prepared for. He must attempt to lead a kingdom that hates and fears him, fighting against the schemes of the lords and the rejection of the priests, at the same time doing his best to prevent a war between Aleria and Mesia. With the support of Lady Mira and several others, Rhoden begins to take important steps toward peaceful resolutions.

But there is a darkness at the center of Aleria, which grows ever stronger, threatening to destroy centuries of effort to contain it. Rhoden finds that this darkness is building inside him, and is eventually faced with an impossible choice: to let events happen the way they were intended, or to risk everything for a kingdom that will never accept him.