Three years after the conflict between Daein and Crimea that shook every corner of the continent of Tellius, Elincia, the orphaned heir to the throne of Crimea, is crowned queen. She embarks on a mission to heal the damage her country suffered and to expel Daein from its borders. Daein, having lost the war, cedes its governmental authority to the Begnion Empire. However, as Begnion becomes a tyrannical suzerain, civil unrest grows daily. Micaiah, a girl with powers of healing and foresight, joins other young people who have escaped the empire's grasp to form the Dawn Brigade—a loose band of vigilantes intent on freeing Daein from Begnion's stranglehold. Although Micaiah's efforts earn the respect of her people, who begin to call her the "Silver-Haired Maiden," she initially struggles against Begnion's overwhelming strength. Word soon reaches Micaiah that a prince—the orphaned son of Daein's late King Ashnard—is raising an army in the Desert of Death with plans to claim the throne. Micaiah leads the Dawn Brigade into the desert, hoping to rally behind Daein's rightful ruler and break the kingdom's shackles.