This fantasy novel excerpt follows Gavril, a painter who discovers he is the Drakhaon, the heir to a desolate, snow-covered land, and is forced to confront his monstrous, dragon-like heritage after his father's assassination. While he struggles with his new identity and the political machinations of Prince Eugene of Tielen and Count Velemir of Muscobar, the narrative also features Kiukiu, a loyal serving girl with hidden ancestral powers, and Elysia, Gavril's mother, who seeks to understand and protect her son from a distance. The story explores themes of destiny, power, love, and betrayal as Gavril attempts to understand the curse that transforms him and defend his people from invasion, while Kiukiu and Malusha, a powerful Guslyar, try to guide him and fight against the spirit that possesses him. Ultimately, Gavril must embrace or reject his inherited powers to save his homeland and the people he cares for, including Jaromir Arkhel, a rival claimant to the Drakhaon title who is caught in the conflict.