In a what seems like a twist of fate, Ava Bingen, a young seamstress, comes to the court of Skyggehavn after she is cast out of her village. There, she witnesses the deception and treachery of powerful members of the king's court. A mysterious illness ravages the court, extending up to the royal family itself. Ava finds herself unwillingly pulled into the network of spies, which threatens her existence at the court. With her unlikely companion Midi, the mute nursemaid, Ava must tread carefully for her own survival.

In the imaginary Scandinavian city of Skyggehavn in a time that seems to be the Renaissance, three women--the seamstress Ava Bingen, mute nursemaid Midi Sorte, and mad Queen Isabel--must try as best they can to survive the deadly sickness that is raging through the court. As one royal heir after another dies, the situation grows evermore dangerous. What no one knows is that the royal sickness is unstoppable because it originates from the Queen herself.

After Princess Sophia's wedding, she falls to a mysterious illness like the rest of her siblings. In the palace, when a single errant prick of a needle sets off a series of events that will alter the course of history, the fates of seamstress Ava Bingen and mute nursemaid Midi Sorte become intertwined. As they navigate a tangled web of palace intrigue, a power lust, and deception, Ava and Midi must carve out their own survival any way they can.