Just before the 50th anniversary of the Empire's return, Princess Kyanite, granddaughter of former Queen Cadance, slips away from the castle late at night unbeknownst to her parents, bringing a small trove of books with her. After sneaking through back alleys, lost and confused, hooded cloak tattered, she finds herself before a small cottage with a single window lit by a candle's flickering flame. The cold becoming bitter, she faints after knocking on the door, exhaustion overwhelming her.

Deckle, an author living on his own, brings her in from the cold. The next day, he discovers she is fugitive royalty, and devises a solution for her concealment: A device that will allow a glamor spell to last for days on end. However, she would have to work at the coffee house nearby.