The universe is held in balance by its queen, and that balance has been failing. The queen's power is weakening, and without a successor the cosmos faces destruction. Candidates for the next queen are identified and called to the Holy Land. Angelique Limoges is among them — chosen after she alone witnesses a figure riding a horse across the sky, a vision no one around her can see. The other candidate is Rosalia de Catargena. The Holy Land is the arena where both will demonstrate what they are capable of, with the future of the universe depending on the outcome.