It's not all sugar and spice at Basil's Bakery, where seventeen-year-old Aurelie is an overworked, underappreciated apprentice. Still, the job offers stability, which no-nonsense Aurelie values highly, so she keeps her head down and doesn't dare to dream big--until a stranger walks in and hands her a set of Seeking stones. In a country where Seeking was old-fashioned even before magic went out of style, it's a rare skill, but Aurelie has it. The stranger, who turns out to be a remarkably bothersome bounty hunter named Iliana, asks for Aurelie's help rescuing someone from the dangerous Underwood--which sounds suspiciously like an adventure. When the someone turns out to be Prince Hapless, the charming-but-aptly-named prince, Aurelie's careful life is upended. Suddenly, she finds herself on a quest filled with magic portals, a troll older than many trees (and a few rocks), and dangerous palace intrigue.