Kour'el, a winged being from a distant world, has been carried by a dragon-like creature, Api'Naga, to King Vassill's kingdom. There the monarch is in thrall to the wicked queen Mariah, and Maighdlin, granddaughter of the king's former huntsman, has been taken to serve as a palace slave. Alternating chapters follow the travels of Kour'el and Maighdlin until they meet in a violent climactic moment.
