Bragante, also known as the Firstborn, has grown elderly and weak, so she decides to reveal the truth about her past to her granddaughter. She had a passion for books, and very early on felt the anguish of childbirth. Her elder status means she is responsible for educating the last-born, but she refuses to shield the child from the monstrosities that her father, the king, is known for. It is through unrelenting cunning that she might someday survive...