Avalon Normandeau lives in a society of rejection; a place where she, along with many others, must suffer for their differences.
In a corrupted France, Lord Lukas de Mer craves a land of perfection, one in which the poor; known as the Expatrié, the different; the Faurier elf tribe, and the dangerous; the swordplayers, are shameful to his country. As a result, people try to keep their social classes a secret in hopes they won't be caught and become imprisoned, enslaved, killed, or drafted into Morden; France's barbaric method to keep the nation in line.
Avalon goes out and steals food and trinkets in order to support her two siblings, even though they fear she will get caught as an Expatrié and get drafted into Morden. She knows that won't ever happen, because she is a Tongue Teller; a person who uses a fake identity every time they are seen stealing so no one will ever bother to look for them. This all changes the nobles catch her stealing from an Expatrié boy, leading her to accidentally tongue tell the name of a family who has ruled and controlled Morden for generations. As a result, Avalon is mistaken for being a famous noble and is thrown into a role like no other, all whlie keeping a hefty secret and discovering the true nature of her people and the twisted mind of her government.
