Princess Sabine of Veridia has been betrothed to Prince Peregrine of Glimmerdale since she was six. Now she's thirteen, and Prince Peregrine is... fine. However, Sabine wants adventure and map-making.

While sulking in the dusty royal archives, she finds a loophole: The Edict of Ember Peak. It states any betrothed royal can challenge the union by presenting a gift "forged in the breath of the realm's oldest guardian"?the dragon of Mount Cinder.

Sabine packs her compass, her best boots, and a book. The real challenge isn't stealing a scale; it's convincing Helga to give her one without waking up the other dragons sleeping deeper in the mountain.