Elena wakes reborn at eighteen and is summoned to a royal audience where the king asks whom she loves. Flashbacks reveal her past life: the Shaw family died in battle, she was forced to marry Crown Prince Jason, suffered four years of humiliation and servants' abuse, and died. Now her father moves to arrange her marriage and everyone expects her to choose Jason, but Elena refuses. Instead she pleads, "Please, grant me marriage to Prince Alex," shocking the court and leaving the king's decision and her future unresolved.