In a mysterious dream, Princess Arbella Leon Camulita discovers a book that tells a story about her future. Princess Judith, a newly recognized royal and the daughter of a slave, takes on the role of the protagonist. She is bullied by her half-siblings until she awakens to her unrivaled magical abilities, eventually reaching a sweet and satisfying ending. On the other hand, Arbella, who was previously thought to be the most powerful magician, descends into madness with envy, and her greed brings about her demise.

Upset by the uncanny resemblances between her dream and reality, Arbella starts to notice her shortcomings and the rotten treatment that Judith receives daily. Determined to cure her own illness—the rare and incurable "magician's fever"—and avoid becoming a monster, Arbella leverages the power she still has as the first princess to both help Judith and escape her own grim fate.