The parliament of Erl demands a magic lord, so Alveric crosses the twilight border, marries the elf princess Lirazel, and brings her home, where clocks, Christianity, and domestic expectations estrange her. Their son Orion’s pursuit of unicorns and Alveric’s long search unfold between mortal change and Elfland’s timelessness, turning a fairy-tale marriage into a conflict between communal ambition, enchantment, and the costs of belonging to either realm.