At the beginning Dashati, the protagonist, is hardworking and committed to her lady, Saren. "I wash. I cook. I stoke the fire"(Hale 32). She's committed to her job.
Dashati notices that Saren is sad most of the time and she's determined to figure out how to help her get better. "Perhaps I was sent to heal her"(Hale 23).
Dashati has decided that while she's stuck in this tower, she's going to figure out what ails Saren.

After being in the tower for around two years, Dashati isn't has committed to her lady, "I don't have the patience to hear her cry again"(Hale 97). She started to dislike her job and is becoming less hardworking and caring.
Dashati even notices that she's become impatient and melancholy, "I miss myself, How I used to be"(Hale 123).
She decides that if she's ever going to be the same they have to escape.

Dashati discovers rats living in the cellar and eating their supplies. She figures if they got in there has to be a way out.
When out of the tower they see that Saren's father's kingdom has been burned down.
They start their long journey to the next kingdom. Along the way Dashati starts to dislike Saren. It turns out she complains more outside then she does trapped in the tower, "I don't think I've ever truly hated a thing more in my life like I hate Saren then"(Hale 197).

When they reach the next kingdom, Saren sees the man she's been betrothed to before she was locked away. She forces Dashati to pretend to be her.
After them talking for a while she falls in love with him, but he finds out she's pretending to be someone else, "My heart was boild hard"(Hale 236).
The next morning she has a trial to determine her punishment.

The verdict is in Dashati's favor. And Tegasus forgives her for lying when he hears the story of why she lied. Tegasus told her during the trial, "You surprise me, no shaking or crying"(Hale 247). Dashati's proud of herself for being courageous.
Tegasus asks her to marry him. Dashati is finally happy and doesn't need to hide who she is, "I plan to laugh and dance"(Hale 306).
She can finally be the person she wants to be, she's no longer trapped by the people and things around her.

Dashati has learned many important lessons throughout the story, but I think the most important lesson she's learned is that she's important too. She's not just a maid, and even though she's now a queen she isn't going to stop being helpful and she's glad that she'll never have to see that tower ever again.