Tamamo grew up in the imperial court, where the space between words mattered more than the words themselves, where battles were fought with poetry. As the favored of the Emperor Junnin, Tamamo knew well how poetry could cut. As the adopted daughter of a once-great noble family, she had no business loving the emperor, nor should he had loved her. After all, that was for the prominent Fujiwara family to decide. It didn't help that she also had a secret: She was a fox.

Outside the capital, poetry had been exchanged for sharpened steel. Determined to return to power, the former empress and her family gathered their forces. Caught between the reality of war and the intrigues of the court, Tamamo and Emperor Junnin plan a life together and a way to unify the country without the need for blood.However, Tamamo's adoptive father has other plans. Plans that involve the true nature of Tamamo's secret, plans that shatter Tamamo's heart.

Forced to join with the former empress to find answers, Tamamo must learn what it means to be a fox. The answers will change not only her destiny but also the future of the three great families.