To escape becoming the Empress, Anya Sutton sets a fire and flees. Three years later, she is forced to enter the palace for The Imperial Selection. She intends to act ugly to be rejected but is chosen by Emperor Kaelan at first sight. To hide her identity, she feigns madness, only to discover that the Emperor is still deeply in love with her. A tug-of-war of revealing her identity and the Emperor's pursuit to win her back begins.