While a prisoner of the English, young Alexander learns of his father's death and that he is now Lord of Hume, though he feels lord of nothing as the English occupy his fortresses. Undaunted, he escapes and sets out to recapture his lost property warring with the Earls of Rutland and Sussex, and the Duke of Somerset. His fondness for women leads him into tumultuous relationships first, with a farm girl, Jennie Laidlaw, and then in succession, Lady Margaret Ker, Mary Queen of Scots and Lady Agnes Grey. While he falls afoul of Queen Elizabeth of England. In addition to the chaos of government, wrought by weak leadership, he had to contend with the Scottish Reformation, a turbulent time of intrigue, treachery and Machiavellian machinations, and a series of bloody murders, even witch burnings. Moreover, while a staunch supporter of Mary Queen of Scots he was, in the end, obliged to fight against her, forcing her out of Scotland for all time As with book one in the series, Ghost of Flodden, this fascinating work is grounded in historical fact.