Ah-Nydia survived the Cataclysm. She survived seventeen years as the last elvish princess in a world that saw her as curiosity, trophy, or threat. Now she must survive King's Pride—and decide what kind of survivor she'll become. The capital's Royal Academy promises her a place in civilized society. But civilization, she discovers, is a performance staged over rot. Free elves vanish into slavery chains while nobles debate etiquette. Children starve in the streets while court politics turn murder into sport. And everyone expects the orphaned elf princess to smile, curtsy, and be grateful for her token seat at the table. Ah-Nydia refuses to be a symbol. She wants to matter—to actually fix what's broken rather than ornament what's corrupt. But the cost of becoming more than a pretty tragedy is higher than she imagined. To save the powerless, she must seize power. To protect the innocent, she must become what the guilty fear. In six weeks, she transforms from student to force of nature, taking control of King's Pride's criminal underworld through calculated terror and impossible choices that leave even her sworn protectors questioning who she's becoming. The girl who once freed slaves because it was right now signs contracts with assassins because it's necessary. Her friends watch her change. Her wolf companion understands what she cannot accept: that fixing broken systems sometimes requires breaking them first—and breaking yourself in the process. Chains of Court asks the hardest question: What does it cost to matter? And is the price worth paying